Stranger Situations
by DarkAuroran
Summary: Iruka meets a very weird, sexy and incredibly manipulative silver-haired stranger at the airport. Kakashi helps him make it onto his flight but what's expected in return takes Iruka on a journey into danger and sensuality. KakaIru abounds within!
1. The Stranger

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I have had to beg my way onto a flight though.**

**AN: Before you start reading this story please take note that I'm well aware that the flight Iruka takes is not the perfect flight path he could of. Please just move on from this point. There are reasons for this that will be explained in the end Authors Note.**

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**Stranger Situations**

**Chapter 1: The Stranger**

"You don't understand. I have to get on this flight."

"I'm sorry, sir, the flight is completely booked," the woman behind the counter didn't sound sorry. In fact, she sounded downright unsympathetic to his plight.

"There is a seat available on the next plane but…" she pointedly looked him up and down. "It's in first-class."

How rude! Iruka didn't think he was dressed that poorly. Granted he was in an old pair of jeans and just a plain t-shirt, but were neither dirty nor torn. Was it so obvious that he wasn't wealthy? None of this mattered though, what mattered was getting on the blasted plane.

"Miss, my flight has already been delayed for two hours. They've just announced that it will be delayed for another four hours. If I don't catch this flight to New York, I won't make my transfer to California." Iruka's hands fisted on the countertop, he was becoming desperate and already suffering from lack of sleep and almost crippling worry. "My little brother was in a terrible car accident and is in hospital in San Francisco. I have to make that transfer or it'll be a whole day until the next flight. I've got to get to him!"

Iruka had been in panic mode ever since he received the dreadful phone call from the University of California the evening before. Naruto had decided to participate in the student exchange program between Japanese and American Universities. Students swapped places for one semester and given the opportunity to live in a new country and study a different culture. The energetic blonde had been chosen and flown off to America bubbling over with excitement. An added bonus was that his best friend and class rival, Uchiha Sasuke, had gotten into the program with him. They had been studying hard and having a wonderful time exploring the new country before the accident.

The University Director told him the boys had been driving home from a dinner party when a drunk driver ran a red light and ploughed into their car. They hadn't even seen him coming. The drunk had run into the side of the car closer to the boot than where the boys were sitting, but it was enough to make the small sedan Sasuke had purchased to roll and then slide down an embankment. Both Naruto and Sasuke were pulled from the wreckage and received medical attention quickly, but were suffering from head injuries, cuts, and bruising.

Luckily, there had been no broken bones but Naruto wasn't conscious when the emergency services arrived and had yet to wake up. The young heir to Uchiha Shipping Inc. was beside himself with worry. Iruka knew this when the Director had explained that Sasuke had made sure he was in a shared room with his blonde friend and would ask the doctors calmly for progress reports. Iruka translation: Sasuke talking to people and choosing to be in the same room as Naruto… the situation was dire, and called for panic!

He had immediately started phone airline companies and organising flights, dipping into his emergency funds that he'd set aside years ago for just this sort of a situation. When one had Naruto to care for an emergency stash of money was essential.

Despite all his best efforts and flawless organisation (except for the tornado of clothes he'd dubbed as _panicked packing_), this situation was just out of his control. He could not control faulty airplane equipment. What he had to do now was convince the woman handing out tickets to put him on the next available flight, the same woman who obviously didn't possess a heart or shred of compassion. She just did not care; it showed in her face and body language. She couldn't care less that Iruka's little brother was possibly slipping into a coma half the world away. She looked at him with pure annoyance flashing in her eyes and his hopes sank. At her next words, he felt his body physically sag as all optimism fled his system.

"Sir, you're holding up the line and I've already told you that-"

Her eyes suddenly widened as a pale hand came to rest on the counter next to Iruka's clenched fists.

"Now, now," a smooth voice purred next to his ear. Iruka looked to his side to see a tall, slender man with an incredible shock of silver hair and the sexiest damn smile he'd ever seen. "You and I both know they save seats on planes for emergency situations and this sounds to me like it's most definitely an emergency."

The ticket counter woman was staring openly at the stranger and Iruka honestly couldn't blame her, he was staring openly too. The man was _gorgeous_!

A well-muscled arm found its way around Iruka's shoulders, the elbow resting against the junction of his neck as a forearm clad in black silk crossed his chest. The stunned brunette was pulled against a very broad chest as the stranger leaned further forward, turning that beautiful smile up a few notches. The woman behind the counter looked as though she was almost in need of a tissue to stem a immanent nosebleed.

"Why don't you cut the poor guy a break and transfer his ticket over? Fill your good deed quota for the day, hmm?"

"Oh, I… ah," the lady was downright flustered.

Iruka knew there was a blush staining his cheeks but he dared any person, man or woman, to be held against that sleek body and not react to its warmth. Finally, the woman recovered enough of her wits to form a coherent sentence.

"I suppose I could transfer him onto the flight."

Iruka's hopes soared and he released a deep sigh of relief. It was impossible to relax though, especially not with that body pressed almost flush up against him. The velvet smooth voice flowed once more past his tanned ear.

"That's very kind. Thank you…," the pale man deliberately allowed a grey eye to travel slowly down from her eyes to the nametag pinned on the uniform jacket, "Jasmine. What a lovely name. Such a delicate and beautiful flower."

His deep voice made it quite clear that he wasn't speaking of the flora variety. She giggled and looked at him with hot, lust-filled eyes.

_Oh yeah_, thought Iruka, _h__e'll get to ride more than the plane if he wants_.

Generally, Iruka didn't like seeing people manipulated. But in this case, he would sacrifice everything to get to where his brother lay unconscious in a hospital bed. Thank God, Sasuke was there to keep an eye on things! He was such a responsible and intelligent young man, he'd keep Naruto safe until the Iruka got there. While he and Naruto weren't actually blood related, they had gone through the necessary legal proceedings to become family on paper. They were both orphans and loved each other dearly. They were brothers at heart so making it legal was just the next logical step. They had a running joke regarding who adopted whom; and when they play argued, the person who ran out of insults first always inevitably ended up resorting to "Yeah, well you're adopted!" This would have them crack up laughing. He couldn't bear the thought of life without his little brother's sunshine.

_Hang on__, Naruto, I'm coming_!

He watched as the woman finished the necessary commands on her computer and printed him off a ticket, all the while shooting smouldering glances at the silver-haired stranger still standing next to him. The tall man hadn't removed his arm from around his shoulders; in fact, he was still pressed intimately up against that warm chest as the stranger's weight leaned against him lazily. A pale thumb stroked his chest in what seemed to be a bored, subconscious movement. That thumb was right over his nipple, which had treacherously hardened without his permission and the caress was doing some interesting things to his libido. Normally, the close proximity and almost intimate way they were touching would have had the tanned man excusing himself and backing away. However, if it got him on the plane he was willing to put up with anything the world decided to throw at him.

Finally, the ticket was handed over along with his passport and Iruka felt like he had won the lottery! He thanked the woman behind the counter (even thought he didn't really think she deserved it) and slipped from the stunning man's embrace. He stood to the side and waited patiently as the tall stranger's details were processed. Finally, after many promise filled looks and flirtatious gestures, the stranger was in possession of his papers and stepped away from the counter, gifting the woman with one last killer smile. As he turned, Iruka was surprised to see that the man had a black silk wrap bound around his head to cover his left eye. An old scar trailed its way jaggedly from under the soft material to half way down his cheek. Instead of looking horrible, it appeared dangerous and unexpectedly sexy. No wonder the woman had been swooning… scratch that, was still swooning. The pale stranger quirked an eyebrow at Iruka as he approached him, the honey-skinned man smiled gratefully as he gave a polite bow.

"Thank you very much for your help. If not for you, the ticket wouldn't have been transferred. I appreciate you intervening."

The silver-crowned head cocked to the side and Iruka found himself under the scrutiny of the taller man. He forcibly kept down the warmth threatening to colour his cheeks. Damn it, no one should be blessed with that much raw charisma, it was horribly unfair for the rest of people on the planet. That single grey eye slowly travelled over him, the smoky orb lingered on his lean hips, waist, lips, the scar crossing his nose, stared straight into slightly confused brown eyes, and contemplated the long dark hair pulled into a high ponytail. Against his will, Iruka felt himself blush.

_Damn it__, blood! I told you to stay out of my face._

Ugh, it was hopeless and he tried not to resent the stranger for his own reactions. There really was no reason to be eyeing him so blatantly though. It was almost indecent.

"Mah, no problem." The Silver-haired stranger shrugged. "I just wanted things to move along so I can catch my flight. You were being very stubborn and she was right, you were holding up the line."

Iruka couldn't believe his ears!

_What is this? National Asshole__ Day?_

Suppressing a sigh, the shorter man just inclined his head and decided to take the higher ground.

"None the less, I'm grateful." He really was, if not also a little annoyed by the man's attitude, but it had gotten him on the plane so he wasn't going to complain.

He scooped up his backpack, nodded once to the stranger in farewell, and headed toward the security station refusing to look back. There was only a short wait at the gate before the plane was ready for boarding, calling for the First-Class passengers to present themselves before the other ticket holders. Iruka was only partially surprised when he spied a familiar shock of silver hair walking toward the attendant processing the tickets. He was even less surprised when he saw her reach for a tissue.

**……**

Iruka staggered off the plane in New York, eyes barely open and backpack precariously perched on his shoulder. He'd never been so exhausted in all his life. The fourteen hour flight had been _hell_. He'd been seated at the back of the plane, near the toilets and next to an American woman travelling with her young daughter. The little girl had been terribly ill for the first few hours of the flight, throwing up into sickness-bags and crying her miserable little eyes out. Her mother had been very worried about the child and apologetic to Iruka for the situation. She didn't bother to hide her relief when it turned out he was fluent in English and understanding of her predicament.

The rest of the flight had been filled with barely edible food, followed by horrible smells coming from the toilets, and a movie where the only thing weaker than the plot was the skills of the actors. Iruka finally decided filled the hours by distracting the small girl and teaching her how to read. Little Amy worked like a soldier under Iruka's gentle guidance and managed to get all the way through the two storybooks her mother, Helen, had brought on the plane. Watching the child slowly start to identify the funny symbols as words and begin reading on her own had been the only good thing about the flight. Even when the other passengers had gone to sleep, he had not been able to join them for worry of his little brother.

Was Naruto alright? Had he woken up yet? He'd been unconscious for two days by that stage; did it count as a coma? If he was in a coma, could Iruka get him back home to Japan? These questions had travelled around and around in his head like a rollercoaster making any rest impossible.

Staggering through customs and passport checks, he made it to the baggage carousel and retrieved his small duffle bag. Iruka always travelled light; it made things much easier. There was a six hour wait until his next flight and he was seriously considering the comfort rating of a nearby wall to sleep against when a young voice called out.

"Iwuga-sensei!"

Little Amy and Helen weaved their way through the crowd to reach the tanned teacher. He offered up a tired smile and tried to remain standing, it would likely frighten the child if a full-grown man suddenly passed out at her pink sneakered feet.

"Hello again, Amy. Hello Helen."

Helen beamed a huge smile at him and offered her hand to shake, which he politely accepted.

"Oh Iruka, I can't tell you how grateful I am you sat next to us on the flight. You were just wonderful! I can't believe you taught Amy how to read so easily. Her teachers at school have been having so much trouble and I just didn't know what to do. You're an absolute godsend!"

"Oh my," He couldn't help feeling flattered at her kind words and scratched the back of his head bashfully. "It really wasn't any trouble at all. You're very bright, Amy, just in need of more one-on-one help than typical classroom learning. It really was a pleasure."

He had always been conscious of how adults talked about children as if they weren't even there. As a child, he'd hated it when adults talked about him over his head; therefore, he always made a conscious effort not to do the same thing.

"Iwuga-sensei, I'm going to tell everyone at school about you! You're the best teacher I ever had. Much better than Mrs Barry!" Amy exclaimed exuberantly before holding a little hand next to her mouth to give the impression of a confidential whisper. "She yells lots and has hair like a bird's nest."

He couldn't help but laugh at the mental image that produced as Amy's mother scolded her for being rude. Dropping to one knee, he ruffled her copper locks affectionately and gave her his warmest smile.

"Thank you, Amy. I needed the laugh."

They left him to seek their own home, Amy waving back at him until the milling sea of people swallowed them up. Letting out an exhausted sigh, he slumped backward to where he knew the wall to be but jolted with a shock as it suddenly wrapped two strong arms around him. Oh crap! He'd landed on someone.

"I'm so sorry!" he cried, jerking away from the person. "I didn't know anyone was behind me."

A deep chuckle started in the middle of his apology and Iruka recognised the voice nano-seconds before seeing the person.

"It's you," he blurted out intelligently, only barely stopping himself from pointing a finger.

The silver-haired stranger was slouched casually against the wall and smiling in the most bizarre way, his eye curved downward to form an arch. It was remarkably attractive.

"It's me," he confirmed in a deep voice.

Iruka realised how ridiculous he sounded and blushed a deep shade of red. Stupid blood vessels! He needed to recover, and quick, before he embarrassed himself further.

"Oh, I mean, ah… Hi."

He could have sworn he just felt his father's spirit smack him upside the head for being so eloquent. Damn, he had to be tireder than he thought… which was kind of scary considering he still felt like passing out. How long had he been awake? It had to be close to fifty hours of stressed, worrying hell.

The silver-haired man looked him over with that startling clear grey eye and Iruka watched as the thin mouth narrowed in disapproval.

"You look like shit."

Right, so National Asshole Day didn't stop at the time zone change. Good to know.

"Bad flight?"

Iruka smirked and let his backpack slide to the ground next to his duffle bag. It hurt too much to have it on his shoulder anymore, his muscles felt unbelievably cramped.

"Doesn't matter if it was bad or not. I'm here. Now, I don't mean to be rude but I'm about to pass out and that wall has my name written all over it," he quipped, pointing near where the stranger was leaning. It was the darkest corner he could see in the whole airport and Iruka could only hope a security guard would let him rest and not move him along.

A pale eyebrow quirked at his comment and Iruka wondered if the other one rose with it, but couldn't tell through that remarkable silver hair and black wrap. The stranger studied the wall and shook his head.

"Well, while it does look like a remarkably comfortable area of concrete I have a better idea." Saying that, he pushed his lean frame off the wall scooping up both Iruka's bags.

"Hey!" The dark haired man dashed forward to grab his luggage only to find his wrist caught by a large, warm hand before he was tugged toward the airport exit. In a far corner of his mind, Iruka noted the man didn't have any bags of his own.

"Come on," the deep voice commanded cheerfully, but the shorter man planted his feet and tried to tug his arm from the surprisingly strong grip. It didn't hurt it was just unrelenting.

"What the hell do you think you're doing? Let go and give me back my bags!"

That smooth chuckle reached his ears again as he was just tugged forward once more. The stranger wasn't even looking at him and Iruka was just contemplating the possibility of hitting him and managing to evade airport security until his next flight when the stranger spoke again.

"I have a room booked at a motel near by and our next flight isn't for six hours. You look like you need some decent sleep."

Iruka tugged on his arm again, beginning to feel more frightened than angry. This man was obviously mentally unstable, very strong, and, if the speed with which he caught Iruka's arm was any indication, extremely fast. He was beginning to feel he was in serious danger. Best thing to do with crazy people was talk to them calmly and try to ease out of the situation. Then run like crazy!

Using his calmest, most commanding teacher's voice, he addressed the man latched onto his wrist. It would be best to try to keep the stranger calm and regain control of the situation without resorting to violence. Gods, he didn't need this! He was exhausted enough without having to deal with psychotic people.

"Sir, let's stop and talk for a moment. You've been very kind to me and I don't even know your name."

As Iruka had hoped, the tall man paused and turned to face him. Thankfully, he also released his wrist but didn't relinquish his bags. Ok, so they were more than halfway there. Time for some fast-talking, surely he could talk his way out of this. The stranger spoke first, however.

"When asking someone's name it's only good manners to give yours first, Iruka."

"Well… Hey!" Iruka was stunned and a little more frightened than before. "How do you know my name?"

The stranger smirked, damn sexily.

"I read it on your ticket when I talked you onto the plane. Umino Iruka. It's an unusual name, but then you seem to be an unusual sort of man."

He found himself the subject of close scrutiny again and shifted uncomfortably under the intense gaze.

"Oh, um, not really. Quite plain and boring I'm afraid. Nothing unusual about me at all. Really not worth you wasting your time. Now, those bags look heavy. How about you just hand them back to me, alright? It's not fair that you carry my bags when they're so heavy."

He tentatively reached out a hand only to have his hand caught by one of the stranger's.

"I," the tall man said, shaking their hands up and down slowly, "am Kakashi. And your bags aren't heavy at all."

A quick tug on his hand had Iruka stumbling forward, forcing him to place a hand on the newly introduced Kakashi's chest to steady himself.

Crazy or not, this was just unacceptable and the taller man was about to get a verbal thrashing. Forcing tired, angry eyes upward to meet grey, the chocolate orbs widened as he realised just how close that handsome face was. Those lips were almost sinful and so close that when Kakashi talked, his breath tickled across the scar bridging the tanned nose. Wait, the lips were moving.

_Oh crap, he's been talking and I haven't heard a word._

"S-Sorry, what did you say?" the tanned man mumbled.

Another deep chuckle rolled through the lithe frame and that handsome face leaned even closer. Iruka couldn't breathe. There had to be something wrong with the air in this country because sheer tiredness wouldn't make his head feel as fuzzy as it was at that moment.

"I said, its hours until our next flight and you're exhausted. In fact, you look like you haven't slept in days. I've been in your situation before and would have killed for a hot shower, clean set of clothes, and warm, comfortable bed even if only for a few hours. I see this as an opportunity to give a kind, gentle person some help." The dark grey eye was direct as it held Iruka's gaze, the depths serious and sincere. "I really want to do this, to help you just for a little while, and you would be doing me a favour by helping me fulfil my good deed for the day," the taller man still hadn't released his hand, instead brushing a thumb soothingly across the sensitive skin of the honey toned wrist. "So, will you help me out? Please."

Iruka realised he had been nodding only after he was graced with another gorgeous smile and led forward again. That voice was dangerous. It would be able to melt ice and women's underwear with a simple chuckle. The exhausted man was guided outside and ushered into a taxi, the taller man sliding in next to him as the driver stowed Iruka's bags away.

_How the hell did this happen? I was supposed to have talked the man into leaving me alone and he somehow turned it around and talked me into going with him!_

A shot of annoyance spurred through his tired, dopey state and he shot Kakashi a grumpy glare.

"You're very manipulative."

The handsome face didn't even look shocked; he just gave that strange curvy-eyed smile and patted the teacher on the knee.

_Bastard_.

The car ride only took a few minutes before pulling up outside a small motel just outside the airport perimeter. The two men climbed out and were quickly checked in and directed to a room. Kakashi carried Iruka's two bags and the driver followed with a large black case, obviously Kakashi's. Somewhere in the tired depths of his mind, Iruka realised that meant the silver haired man's bags had been taken to the cab while the man himself came to fetch him. While the thought was mildly creepy, he was just too worn to dwell on it any further. To use one of Naruto's friend's phrases, it was all too troublesome.

When they entered their room, the taller man dropped the bags inside the door and pushed Iruka straight into the small, but well-appointed, bathroom before he even had a chance to remove his shoes. Iruka didn't argue, he was too far gone. He would just deal with whatever fate had to throw at him later, hopefully after a few hours sleep.

Turning on the shower to warm, he stripped off his travel clothes then stepped under the spray. It felt so damn _good_. He just let the water run over his skin in soothing rivulets and rested his forehead on the cool wall tiles. His knees hitting the shower floor jolted him awake, shocked to realise that he'd literally fallen asleep on his feet. Iruka forced himself up again and quickly washed using the soap that was compliments of the motel. Pulling back the shower curtain, he discovered the clean t-shirt, underwear, and jeans that had been in his backpack waiting for him on the vanity unit. Kakashi must have brought them in for him and he'd never even heard the door open. That was more than a little disconcerting. He towelled off, quickly dressed, and exited the bathroom.

The stranger wasn't in the room but his bag was still there. It was sitting on the bed. The only bed. There was only one bed.

His tired mind processed this new information then decided to ignore it. Undoubtedly, he would berate himself for a fool when he awoke but at that moment Kakashi wasn't anywhere in sight and a bed is a bed when you're exhausted. Iruka would wake when he came back and leave the bed to him. The floor and walls in here looked pretty comfortable too. Crawling beneath the covers, he was out within a few seconds.

**......**

"Iruka. Iruka, wake up."

The drowsy man groaned and buried his face further into the warm, soft pillow, wrapping his arm around it to snuggle closer. A low laugh sounded before the sleepy man felt his shoulder being lightly shaken.

"You're going to miss the flight if you don't get up."

That did it. Iruka rose to rest on an elbow and he looked blearily at the familiar yet strange man sitting on the bed next to him. It took a moment for Iruka to remember all that had happened. Kakashi, the man's name was Kakashi and he was in a motel room near the airport on his way to California for Naruto. He was in New York and needed to catch his flight. With a sleepy little sniff, he rubbed at his eyes and blinked a few times to try to clear the sleep haze. Strands of hair were pulling against his scalp and he released the dark mass from the tie he'd forgotten to remove before sleeping.

"Um, what time is it? How long until take off?" he mumbled drowsily as he ran his hand through the sleep mussed strands.

A dark grey eye watched with curious attentiveness as he attempted to bring the long hair into some semblance of order. "Four in the afternoon and about two hours."

"Eh?" Iruka sat bolt upright and blinked, full awareness rapidly returning to him. "Four? But that means we've missed the flight. What do you mean we have two hours? It was scheduled to leave at three-thirty. Oh shit! Naruto!"

He leapt out of bed and made a dash for his bags only to be caught by the wrist and tossed back onto the mattress with detached ease. Caught between gaping in surprise and glaring at the stranger angrily, Iruka sat up with fists clenched. Heavens above that man was fast!

"What the hell do you think you're doing? I have to get on the next flight!"

He went to push off the bed again but was halted by an elegant hand on his shoulder. The silver haired man just looked slightly bored and completely unperturbed by the smaller man's anger.

"Calm down. There was-"

"Calm down? My brother's in the hospital and we just missed the flight!"

"Well, that's not quite the case."

Iruka shoved the tall man's hand from his shoulder and went to climb off the bed again only to be pushed forcefully down onto his back. He was furious. This stranger had been switching from being nice to a right pain in the arse ever since he appeared in Tokyo. Obviously it was pain in the arse time again.

"Get the fuck off me," Iruka growled menacingly, dark eyes narrowed to angry slits.

Kakashi just sighed and didn't budge. "Would you just listen to me for a minute? I'm trying to tell you something important. Honestly, you really are overreacting," the deep voice drawled.

The chocolate haired man was livid. This Kakashi was a total bastard. Overreacting? He thought he was reacting perfectly appropriately to the situation.

"Kakashi, you haven't seen me even begin to overreact," Iruka warned in a low, angry tone. "Now, get off."

"Mm, as fun as it is to watch you get all feisty I need you to quiet down now. I really do think you'll want to hear what I have to say."

Whether Iruka wanted to hear what Kakashi was going to tell him or not was beside the point. He was feeling, trapped, threatened, and needed the larger man to stop looming over him like that. The sensation of being caged in was one Iruka just could not handle. He forced down the fear beginning to crawl through his chest and drew a deep breath, prepared to fight the larger man off him if necessary.

"I told you to get the fuck off me, you basta-"

A pair of warm, pale lips fastened over his and effectively silenced his flow of words. Iruka made a noise of pure _outrage_ and pushed against the broad shoulders above him as hard as he could. Not only did they not budge, but he found his wrists effectively pinned to the bed on either side of his head by large hands. Growling deep in his throat, the smaller man put all the force he could into kneeing the large man in the ribs. It connected but didn't have the desired result of driving Kakashi off. Rather the strange man grunted and moved his body to cover Iruka, easily pinning the shorter legs with his own.

Iruka was completely trapped beneath the heavier male and their lips still hadn't parted. The kiss was aggressive and hard at first, the thinner, pale lips assaulting the fuller ones below in a way that was both frightening and strangely enticing. Regardless of this, Iruka continued to struggle to get free. With another growl, he snapped at the lips covering his and forced the other man to pull back to avoid being bitten. Sucking in a much needed breath, the pinned man was about to yell at his assailant when the lips were back and even bolder than before. The silver haired man was insane. He was crazy, delusional, and completely out of line. A hot tongue dragged over Iruka's bottom lip and the smaller man flinched in surprise. Kakashi was… a really good kisser. A really, really good kisser.

Despite the completely bizarre situation, Iruka couldn't help but feel a small part of him react. Due to his past, he'd had very little experience with anything even resembling sexual intimacy, but it was still obvious that Kakashi was experienced enough for the both of them. The enticing caress of Kakashi's mouth had a sliver of arousal beginning a slow burn in his lower abdomen.

As the lips covering his continued to draw forth new and confusing sensations, Iruka's struggling lessened and Kakashi switched from dominating and demanding to soft and coaxing. The silver crowned head subtlety changed its position to better slant over the lips below caressing them with gentle, teasing pressure. Strong teeth nipped at the lower lip before a warm tongue slid over the area, soothing and seducing. The hands pinning his wrists shifted their position slightly so thumbs could caress over Iruka's erratically beating pulse. Kakashi began to lick the insides of the full lips with small, teasing flicks of the tongue seeking entry. Iruka was tempted to relent and experience more of the new sensations, but he held off at the last moment. The pale man was not perturbed, he continued to nibble, lick, and suck until the pinned male was a panting mess. His mind was mush and there wasn't enough oxygen in the world to fill his lungs, only then did Kakashi move away from his lips and begin trailing his mouth along the cinnamon jaw.

"Do I have your attention now?" The deep voice asked huskily, lips still brushing his skin.

Iruka didn't answer, only panted. The stranger obviously took that as a sign to continue.

"As I was trying to say before, our flight was cancelled. All the flights have been cancelled because the airport's main computer system crashed."

Just as dark eyes snapped open and he was about to say something, Kakashi bit down on the sensitive juncture between his neck and shoulder. Instead of words, a surprised cry of pleasure erupted from the full lips as the area was sucked and tongued until his mind was once again mush.

"I have arranged another flight for us at a separate airfield and there is a car waiting outside to take us to our destination," the deep voice continued, warm breath drifting over his sensitised neck and raising goosebumps. "Now, would you prefer to go back to the airport and try and get on the next flight, which should leave sometime tomorrow if you're lucky, or come with me to a plane leaving in two hours?"

Panting, Iruka realised that he was once more being manipulated. However, he didn't feel as though he had a better option than following Kakashi to another airport. Buses would take too long, taxis were too expensive, and he couldn't hire a car as the American's were crazy and drove on the opposite side of the road.

Kakashi nibbled his way up the tanned jaw and began to suck on his earlobe. Iruka flinched away from the sensation, tugging to try and free his wrists as he mentally seethed at having to give in.

"I'll come with you."

"Excellent." The low words sounded in his ear a second before his lips were hungrily reclaimed.

Again, Kakashi tried to gain entry into smaller man's mouth but was refused. With a frustrated growl, the kiss was broken and the tall man's hips ground down against the man below. To Iruka's immense shock he realised that he was more than half hard, as was the larger man. Their erections pressed together through strained fabric.

"Ahh!" Iruka couldn't stop it escaping his throat.

Finally, Kakashi claimed his prize. Delving his tongue into the hot cavern, he let out a moan of pleasure before commencing to explore it like his own private property. Tongues brushed against each other in a dance of seduction as lips met again and again. Hips ground down once more and the instigator of it happily swallowed his confused captive's moan of pleasure.

This was too much, too fast! He didn't know this man, he hadn't even been 100 percent sure he was attracted to men until he met this stranger. He'd never been with a man or anyone else for that matter. It was just too much. The pinned teacher broke the kiss, turning his head to the side.

"Stop," he panted. "Please stop."

The single grey eye narrowed as it gazed down at him. That wonderful mouth came down once more to nibble on his tanned neck.

"Stop what, Iruka?" the rich voice whispered against his skin, eliciting shivers to run down his spine. "Stop kissing you? Touching you? _Pleasuring_ you?"

The hips ground down again and rolled, strained material sliding together.

"Ahh! Please!" Iruka couldn't tell if he was begging to be let go or fucked into the mattress.

No, it was too much and he knew he'd regret it later. No matter how amazing he suspected it would be. He had to stop this now. This was crazy! He didn't know this man, he didn't understand what was going on. His priority was still Naruto, damn it!

He looked up at the older man with sincerity clear in his eyes. "Kakashi, please stop. Let me go."

If only his voice didn't sound so damn husky. As it was, Kakashi did stop. Again, that startlingly clear grey eye looked down at him, taking in the kiss swollen lips, flushed skin, and dilated eyes. Those melted chocolate pools swirled with emotion. There was arousal to be sure, but uncertainty, trepidation, and fear also shone from their depths. He was too conflicted and, by some miracle, the man above decided to relent.

"For now," Kakashi said with a look that stated all too clearly that they would be revisiting this situation again.

One last heated kiss seared the full lips before his wrists were released and the weight above disappeared. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he watched as the tall man walked with surprising grace to the window and stared out at the street beyond the curtains. They both needed a moment to regain their composure and Iruka was grateful Kakashi's attention was turned elsewhere. After a few minutes, Kakashi moved picking up his suitcase and Iruka's duffle bag.

"The car's downstairs and the airport at least an hour away. Come on."

"I can carry my bag," Iruka protested quietly.

Kakashi grinned at him rakishly over his shoulder. "Nah, I got it."

_And we were back to __Mr. Nice Guy again_.

This personality switching was exhausting and the knowledge that Mr. Asshole's turn was next wasn't very comforting for Iruka.

**……**

The car ride was a silent affair. A lovely silver Bentley had been waiting for them downstairs, the uniformed driver holding the door open and taking care of stowing the baggage. Iruka gazed intently out the window at the passing scenery, he could feel Kakashi's intense gaze on him but refused to look over afraid he might incite a reaction from the strange man. The areas of the city that they drove through were very interesting. So different from Japan yet similar in the way cities all over the world seem to be.

All too soon, they were passing through a security gate. Rather than driving to a car park and entering the terminal to check bags and collect tickets, they drove through another security gate and travelled across the tarmac to a series of hangers. They hadn't been stopped at either security gate like other cars, just waved through. The situation smacked of peculiarity and Iruka was starting to get nervous.

"Where are we going?"

Kakashi was still watching him and looking faintly amused at the darker man's increasing discomfort.

"How old are you?" He asked unexpectedly.

"Huh? What does that have to do with where we're going?"

"Absolutely nothing, I'm just curious. You look like you're in your mid 20's but act much older. If I had to take a guess, I'd say you're 25. Right?"

The teacher took a calming breath and handled the situation as he would with a curious, misbehaving child.

"You answer my question first and then I'll answer yours."

"Fair enough," The silver-haired man cracked a grin and Iruka knew he wasn't going to appreciate the answer. "We're going to the airplane. Your turn."

That was just frustrating.

"I know we're going to the airplane. Why didn't we check in at the terminal like everyone else?"

Kakashi laughed. "Uh uh, I answered your question so now you have to answer mine. Then I'll answer yours again and so on."

Yep, the man was exasperating. But he could also apparently get Iruka to California sooner so he would play the game. Naruto was his only priority and an extremely strange and trying man could be endured for that.

"I'm 24," he answered bluntly.

"We're not everyone else," came the strange reply.

Dark, silky brows dipped in confusion. "What?"

That attractive, curved eye smile was thrown his way. "Nope, it's my turn to ask a question."

"But you didn't answer mine properly!" he could feel his cheeks flushing with frustration.

The blasted man just kept smiling. "Yes I did. You asked why we didn't check in at the terminal like _everyone else_. I answered. In fact, I just answered your last question so it's only fair I get two. Now, how did you get that scar?" he raised a finger and ran it over the bridge of his nose, mimicking where Iruka's scar sat.

Iruka's eyes hardened instantly. That was a damn personal question and not one he was willing to answer at that stage. Instead, he decided to play the vague game too.

"From a knife. Next."

"No, no. I asked how you got the scar, not what gave you the scar. You have to answer properly."

The slight brunette's temper instantly spiked and his voice deepened in warning. "I'm not answering that question. It's not like you've really answered any of mine anyway."

It was obvious that the only thing he could do in that situation was resign himself to wait and see what would occur. It had been a huge mistake to become involved with the strange man, he should have punched Kakashi and run the moment he heard that smooth voice. Then again, if he had done that he would likely still be at the police station in Tokyo.

The car finally pulled into one of the hangers and what was awaiting them within had Iruka's eyes widening as his heart rate doubled. Inside sat a stunning, sleek jet with entry stairs lowered and a young hostess standing beside them.

_It can't be! _The teacher thought desperately. _There's just no way. Shit like this doesn't happen in real life._

He turned to Kakashi with worried eyes.

"This isn't our plane?" He half asked, half stated in denial.

"Of course it is."

Iruka was dumbfounded for a moment, staring at the silver haired stranger in horror. "Are you insane? I can't afford a private plane! I'm a teacher at an orphanage for Kami's sake."

Kakashi raised an interested eyebrow at the stressed man.

"Really, you're a teacher? Well that explains the kid from the plane. Tell me more."

Iruka slammed his hand down on the seat between them and glared angrily at the infuriating man.

"This isn't a joke," he was feeling slightly panicked. "There's no way I can afford this. What were you thinking? Just because you're rich doesn't mean you should assume everyone is as wealthy as you."

"Have you ever rented a private plane before?" The taller male asked indolently.

_How insular can this man really be?_ Iruka wondered.

"Of course not. I told you, I'm not-"

"Then how do you know you can't afford it?" Kakashi interrupted.

The car pulled to a halt and the driver exited to stand by Kakashi's door, waiting for the signal to open it. Iruka was flabbergasted and at the end of his patience.

"Ok then, how much money will it cost me?" he snapped.

Kakashi smirked and the relaxed slouch became more pronounced. The younger man began to feel decidedly like a cornered rabbit.

"Not a cent."

_Uh oh_.

The warning bells that had been chiming happily at the back of his head rapidly escalated into a full-blown blaring of _run for your life_!

"Then…" he was staring at the man with narrowed, suspicious, and almost frightened eyes, "what do you want?"

The smirk widened.

"Two things. One, answer _all_ my questions during the flight and satisfy my curiosity about you, and two… kiss me before we land."

He knew he was staring. He also knew it was entirely possible that his mouth was hanging open and he was doing an excellent impersonation of a stunned mullet. Iruka had heard rich people were eccentric, but was this guy for real?

"You'd better make up your mind quickly. They're ready to go and we're wasting valuable flight time."

Iruka considered his options quickly. He could spend a few hours in the air with an incredibly sexy wacko, give him a quick kiss (no repeats of the hotel room incident), and still get to Naruto much quicker than otherwise possible.

"Ok," he agreed in a small voice.

The grey eye flared with satisfaction.

"Shall we then?"

* * *

**AN: Something that popped into my head during a red-eye flight to Singapore. I'd been awake for over 40 hours, couldn't fall asleep on the plane because it was just too damn uncomfortable and decided to make up a story during the flight instead. It's actually an old romance novel idea I came up with at about 15 years old, just tweaked to suit Kakashi and Iruka more.**

**Edit May 2010: Regarding the flight Iruka took from Tokyo to New York; yes, I understand there are quicker and more convenient flights that are available and the route he took seems unusual. So why did he take such a bizarre and round about way? Simple, for story development and it was a last minute booking. When you have a family member in trouble and need to get to them ASAP you walk into the nearest airport or flight centre, whack a card on the table, and say "Get me here NOW." (Been there, done that. Not fun).**

**You don't wait an extra day so you can have a more direct flight or even complain about the crazy-ass route they send you. If it gets you there faster you just damn well go! Also I needed Iruka completely exhausted to get him in the right mental frame for the next chapter and what's more exhausting than a 14hr flight next to a kid.**

**If you still can't accept this very simple and realistic reasoning then how about this: the story is an AU with fictional characters. Any other city they could have passed through was blown up by aliens last week so they had to go via New York ^_^**

**I hope you've enjoyed this first chapter and will enjoy the rest of the story. **


	2. Mile High

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I am also not afraid of flying, just take-off and landing.**

**AN: Before you read this, I will warn you this is what I have most affectionately dubbed to be my 'brain vomit' fiction. It's all the little ideas and scenario's I see Kakashi and Iruka in without them really fitting into any other particular story. It will jump around a bit and perhaps not make sense in parts, but it will be lots of fun!**

**Meiun and ReixGaara both did an edit on this chapter. In the words of our beloved Iruka: Thank you for your hard work.**

* * *

**Stranger Situations**

**Chapter 2: Mile High**

"Can I get you anything to drink before takeoff, sir?"

Iruka looked up at the attractive young woman serving as their hostess for the flight. She was very polite and had introduced herself as Ino before welcoming them onto the plane and seeing them comfortably settled. And comfortably seated they most certainly were! For the first few minutes on board Iruka had been speechless, stunned by his new opulent surrounds and the surrealism of his situation. The plane was incredible. He did not think he had ever even been in anyone's house that was as nice as this. Two large, plush cream leather seats sat to one side facing each other separated by a short mahogany table. The table had gold edging and its scratch-free surface was inlaid with a strange, spiralled leaf pattern seemingly made from gold.

Along the opposite side of the plane stretched a wide three-seater couch, in the same plush cream design as the twin seats. The floor was laid with thick, deep blue carpeting and the whole compartment trimmed in mahogany finishes so that the interior transmitted a feeling of both extravagance and comfortable warmth. There were all manner of other luxuries scattered throughout the plane, from a large flat screen TV to little golden cup holders, which could be set to keep a drink cool or warm. The spiral leaf symbol was repeated in a few subtle places throughout the plane and seemed to be the only icon. Iruka simply surmised it must be the emblem of whichever company manufactured the vehicle.

While Iruka was obviously affected by the expensive decking of the plane and sat in his seat carefully, which turned out could swivel to make getting in and out easier; Kakashi had been completely blasé about the whole thing. He'd wandered in, turned the chair, and flopped into its plush cushions as if it were an old loved armchair at home. He looked completely at ease in all the lavishness and the dark haired teacher had to admit that Kakashi looked like he belonged here.

Iruka took a moment to appraise the man sitting across from him, along with the rest of the plane's interior. The black silk shirt and dark blue jeans were both in excellent condition and impeccably cut, as if even the denim had been tailored. His shoes were leather and a hint of a shiny silver watch showed beneath the dark fabric on a pale wrist, Iruka couldn't make out the model but he would bet it was expensive. The black silk wrap covering his left eye was the only thing out of place but still fitted with the overall appearance perfectly. Kakashi wore the fine garb with a sense of indifference, as if he would be just as confident and irresistible in a ripped old t-shirt and sweat pants.

As a complete contrast, Iruka was dressed in just a soft grey t-shirt (not ripped or stained, but not exactly new) and his well-worn jeans. He appeared washed out, not at all in keeping with the rich colours surrounding him. He didn't look the part, feel the part, and was most certainly not comfortable in such opulent surroundings. He lived a simple life with functional, well-worn items surrounding him that could take the pounding Naruto and his friends gave them. He'd never been afraid to just _sit_ in any of his chairs before.

All in all, Iruka was thoroughly intimidated and not entirely sure how to act. One thing was certain; he was terrified to damage any of the immaculate interior. One little spill of food or drink could have him up for who knows how much in cleaning charges. The teacher was feeling admittedly paranoid deciding it was better to be safe than sorry. He was about to politely refuse the offer of a drink when another voice spoke over him.

"Two whiskies please."

He shot the silver haired man across the mahogany table an irritated look and was about to say he didn't want a drink when he was once more cut off.

"Better make his a double," Kakashi added with an arrogant smirk.

"Yes sir." Ino bowed politely, blonde ponytail swinging, before making her way to the small kitchenette toward the front of the plane.

"Ah, miss, I don't need a drink," Iruka called after her but the hostess didn't acknowledge his words and Iruka surmised that as Kakashi was the paying customer, it was his orders she would be following during this flight.

He looked at the man across and could not help but scowl.

"I really don't want anything."

The strange, eye curved smile was directed at him and Iruka internally fumed that he still found it attractive.

"I thought you could use something fortifying considering the conditions placed on your ticket for travel. A bit of 'Dutch Courage' as they say." Replied that smooth voice.

Iruka looked away, cheeks flushing slightly. Damn manipulative bastard. He had agreed to answer all questions and kiss the crazy rich man before the end of the flight. Iruka mused over what was to come and decided that a stiff drink was likely exactly what he needed to help prepare. This was going to be thoroughly humiliating and invasive.

_It gets me to Naruto_, Iruka reminded himself.

He would do anything for his little brother; he was all the family Iruka had. There was one courtesy he needed from this strange man though. Ready to spill his first revealing titbit, he forced away the slight blush already on his face and met the appraising grey eye.

"I have a request." He started.

The only sign to continue was a contemplative hum from his fellow traveller.

"No questions during take-off and landing."

The silver head cocked slightly to one side. "Why is that?"

Iruka gave an awkward smile and shrugged a shoulder.

"They just make me nervous and I won't be able to concentrate on anything you ask me anyway, so really you'll just be wasting your breath."

Kakashi nodded and smiled affably.

"Agreed."

Iruka gratefully returned the smile and silently acknowledged that this was Mr. Nice, which meant he would likely have Mr. Asshole interrogating him during the flight. Oh happy day.

A non-slip coaster and crystal glass containing a good amount of amber liquid was placed on the table in front of him. He politely thanked the young woman serving them and watched as Kakashi picked up his glass, holding it mid-air and waiting. Iruka recognised the invitation for a toast and picked up his own glass to comply. It was only polite after all.

The thin, pale lips quirked slightly in one corner and the grey eye focused on the chocolate haired man was teeming with dark amusement.

"To a revealing flight," said Kakashi.

_To the reappearance of Mr__. Asshole_, Iruka thought as his own eyes expressed ironic humour for the situation.

Both men lifted their glasses slightly in salute and took a drink. Oh, it was good. Smooth and potent with that lovely little lick of heat trickling down his throat to warm his insides. Fabulous.

"This is really nice," Iruka complimented.

"Glad you like it," came the polite response.

Iruka took another small sip and decided to ask some questions of his own before they got into his interrogation. It was not in his nature to pry but there were some things he was curious about, like that hidden eye for example. How had Kakashi lost it? What was Kakashi's family name? He only introduced himself with his given name at the airport and Iruka had been too tired and confused by the situation to press further. That was a nice gentle question to start with.

"Kakashi-san, wh-"

"Just Kakashi please," interrupted the silver haired man. "After all, you didn't call me 'san' earlier."

Iruka felt warmth infuse his cheeks again and he looked to the side in embarrassment. "Well, earlier was an unusual situation."

"I insist. Let us speak to each other simply, Iruka," Kakashi smiled persuasively.

It was certainly strange to dispense with formalities after just meeting one another, but if it was what Kakashi was comfortable with then Iruka was willing to comply. The man was a strange one, perhaps this was simply one of his quirks.

"Alright then, Kakashi. If you don't mind me asking, what's your family name?"

There was a short pause and Iruka actually got the distinct impression that the other man was thinking about lying to him. Well, he would prefer not to know than be lied to.

"It's ok, if you don't want to tell me I don't need to know," he said kindly.

Of course, the man was rich. Perhaps he was worried that Iruka would recognise his name and ask for some money or talk to the media and sell his story. It was obvious that he was poor and people did some very underhanded things for a payday.

"Hatake," the deep voice brought Iruka from his musings. "Hatake Kakashi."

The name was revealed in a way that the teacher felt as though he was expected to recognise it, but he didn't. Perhaps that was a good thing, as it would put his temporary benefactor at ease.

"I like it," he smiled kindly. "We both have unusual names."

There was no change in his body language but the grey eye seemed to look less tense, almost relieved. Ino approached them again and requested that they fasten their seatbelts, as the plane was ready for departure. Kakashi watched with avid interest as they began taxiing to the runway and Iruka reached for his glass again, taking a larger mouthful.

The cinnamon skin was getting paler by the second and nervous fingers tensed around the glass in hand. The plane built speed and Iruka knew lift off would only be a few moments away. Forcing his lungs to continue working and suck in slow but shallow breaths, he winced as the wheels left the tarmac and his heart rate increased with the elevation of their vehicle. The teacher shuddered as the plane gave that shake they all seem to during takeoff. No matter how nervous this moment made him, he always looked out the window with morbid fascination as the ground fell away below and they catapulted into the vast emptiness of air. It was at times like this he wondered if he had a masochistic streak. Finally the plane began to level out and he could breath normally again, sucking in a few deep breaths as he tried to slow his heart rate. He knew he would still look pale, but could now function decently.

Taking another drink of his whiskey and enjoying the calming burn he turned his eyes to the man opposite. "Ok, ready when you are."

The taller man gave him an appraising look and smiled gently. It was a truly beautiful smile, more so than the one he had used to talk Iruka onto the Tokyo flight, as it seemed genuine. The sides of the pale lips curved up softly and the eye crinkled appealingly. It was breath taking.

"That's alright, Iruka," Kakashi said kindly. "We'll wait for a bit. Would you like some water?"

Iruka was floored. The manipulative bastard was being considerate and… genuine? This was new… unless it was just another form of manipulation. He studied the man opposite suspiciously but could detect only concern and kindness. A deep chuckle floated across the space between them.

"Don't look so paranoid. You're still pale and shaken, I just want to wait until you're comfortable is all."

Well, what could he say to that?

"Oh, ahh… thank you. I'm fine, really."

Ino chose that moment to make a reappearance to ask if they were in need of anything.

"No thank you," answered Iruka.

"Another round, please," said Kakashi, holding up his empty glass.

The teacher was about to raise his glass and make the point that he still had plenty left but was stunned to discover he had already finished all the amber liquid. Just the partially melted iceblocks clinked around within the crystal tumbler.

"Oh my," he muttered.

His surprised utterance elicited a mirth filled laugh from the Kakashi. Iruka blushed fiercely at both being the object of his amusement as well as the wonderfully sexy sound.

Scratching the back of his head, he smiled sheepishly.

"Guess I lost track of things during takeoff," he chuckled.

"Guess so," agreed Kakashi. "You're afraid of flying?"

"No," Iruka insisted earnestly before grinning. "Just takeoff and landing make me nervous. Once up in the air I'm fine."

"I see."

The silver haired man relaxed further back into his seat and Iruka found himself doing the same thing. It was a long flight; he could at least sit comfortably. Ino bought them fresh glasses and removed their old ones. He noted this drink was only a single shot but it would be irresponsible to have any more, even if it did taste exquisite and helped calm his nerves

"I shouldn't drink this," he mumbled to himself, eyeing the amber liquid.

"Oh?"

At the quietly voiced query, Iruka frowned at the alcohol. "I can't remember the last time I ate and the other drink's already going to my head," he admitted.

"You didn't eat on the last flight?"

Iruka shook his head and gave a small laugh. "I would have if they'd actually served food. I don't know what you got in first class, but we were served something akin to reconstituted cardboard."

"Sounds delectable," Kakashi chuckled.

The silver haired man reached out and clasped his drink, raising it again as he had done with the first. Iruka wondered if they were going to do this with every beverage they were served on the flight and, although he knew he shouldn't drink anymore, he reached for his own glass. It was only polite to participate; it was the strange man's plane after all. Kakashi didn't say anything though, just tilted the tumbler in the shorter man's direction and took a drink. Iruka followed suit and couldn't help but enjoy the liquid's smooth, fiery trail down to his belly. The silver haired man placed his cup back on the table and Iruka chose to nurse his. It helped calm his nerves having something to fiddle with.

"You don't seem to be relaxing, why? Is the chair uncomfortable?"

Iruka smirked at the questions.

"So the interrogation begins," he quipped, meeting an interested grey eye before shrugging and settling further into the comfortably cushioned chair. "Well, I did agree to answer _all_ of your questions."

_But I thought you'd be asking much more personal ones, _he added mentally.

"I'm not relaxing because there's more expense and opulence surrounding me then I've ever seen and am likely to ever see again. I'm absolutely terrified of damaging anything and getting hit with the repair bill, and I'm horribly worried about my little brother. As for the chair being uncomfortable? You know that's not the case. This thing's cushier than my bed at home."

Kakashi nodded his understanding.

"For starters, you won't be hit with any repair bills. You're my guest and I want you to relax and enjoy the flight. So, where's home?"

The dark haired man decided to be a little insolent. He had promised to answer all the questions, but that didn't mean he couldn't be a bit cheeky here and there.

"Where the heart is," he answered with a small grin.

A pair of pale lips returned his grin. They, however, held a slightly evil twist to them and Iruka was hit with the sinking feeling that he'd just given rise to the reappearance of Mr. Asshole.

"And where is your heart?"

"Right now he's lying in a hospital bed in California," he answered with a small, sad sigh.

Some of the predatory atmosphere lifted as Kakashi nodded again in understanding.

"You love your brother very much."

It wasn't a question, it was a statement, and Iruka rubbed at the scar crossing his nose unconsciously.

"Yeah. I don't know what I'd do without him. He's all I have and we've been through so much together. That a stupid car accident could be the thing that separates us… it's just ridiculous."

"Tell me what happened. All of it."

And so Iruka did. It actually felt good to be able to talk to someone about his situation. He had left Japan so quickly there was little time to do more than pack and call the orphanage, letting them know he would not be in until Naruto had recovered. Kakashi was mostly silent, asking questions here and there to show he was listening, occasionally giving a 'Hm' in response. The story of the boys' accident was a lead, through Kakashi's unobtrusive questioning, into the story of how he and Naruto were both orphans and adopted each other when old enough. This then went on to explain how Iruka worked as a teacher at the orphanage he grew up in, trying his hardest to give the kids some stability, love, and a decent education.

At the quietly asked, "Why do you care so much? What was it like when you were a child?" the honey-skinned man was taken back to the dark, painful days of his own childhood.

Iruka finished the last of the whiskey and stared at the left over ice in his glass. His head was feeling quite light now, his body enveloped in warm fuzz, and his tongue loosened through the alcohol and ease of already talking.

"During my time at the orphanage we weren't given any schooling beyond basic compulsory reading, writing, and math. Most of our time was spent cleaning, cooking, and looking after the building and grounds. A young man named Kabuto was in charge of keeping us working and our education. He looked nice and could charm birds from the trees if he tried; he often brought attractive women back on the weekends so he was obviously popular. But it was all lies. He was an incredibly cruel person. He'd smile like an angel while you lay on the floor bleeding and broken because you'd earned some kind of punishment for whatever he'd decided you'd done wrong. The truth was he'd get bored and just wanted a bit of entertainment, and nothing was more entertaining than pain-filled screams to that man."

A shudder ran down his back at the memory of that mockingly gentle smile through the red-haze of pain, and he could almost see it all again in the frozen depths of the ice.

"All the women he'd pick up on the weekends would arrive laughing and flirting, but as soon as the door to his room closed the screaming would start. And not the good kind. It would echo throughout the whole building and even though we knew he was preoccupied that night, none of us were ever brave enough to try to escape. We'd just lie there terrified in our beds, praying for dawn to break and take away the screams. The poor women would stagger out at sunrise. We never saw any bruising or blood, but somehow they'd been broken. He was a cruel man who loved, truly loved to cause pain. But even Kabuto was nothing compared to our so-called 'caregiver'. We called him the…"

Iruka suddenly broke off and refocused on his surroundings as he realised what he was revealing. He had never told anyone about this. Yet here he was on a private plane spilling his secrets to a crazy, rich stranger because of a couple of drinks, tiredness, and total lack of common sense. What an idiot! How could he have verbalised these things after keeping his silence for so long? He had become lost in the memories and just spoken without thinking. Shit, what an idiot!

The silver haired stranger hadn't made a noise for the past few minutes. He was likely disgusted with Iruka's revelations of his past and his weakness as a child for not doing _something_ to better his situation. The heavens only knew Iruka had been disgusted with himself for years. It had taken him a long time to acknowledge that, as tough and mature as he had been as a child he was still only that, he was just a child. A small, frightened, beaten child that was forced to survive in a hellish existence.

Reluctantly raising his eyes to the man sitting across from him, Iruka internally prepared himself to face the disgust and rejection that was certain to be present. Ready to apologise for his run away tongue and any discomfort he had caused, the words stuck in his throat at the look directed at him. Elegantly slender hands were clasped together and hid the silver haired man's mouth and nose, leaving only the right eye and a sliver of skin visible. The only emotion emitting from that single, steely gaze was raw anger and Iruka shrank back from the intensity of it.

The larger man looked downright dangerous and again Iruka berated himself for forgetting where he was and speaking openly about topics that should have remained buried. He knew nothing about this wealthy traveller yet had just started spilling something that no decent person would ever want to hear of. He was such a stupid, _stupid_ fool. Unable to stand the severe gaze any longer, Iruka dropped his eyes to stare at the empty glass in his hands again.

"I'm so sorry," he apologised, tightening his hold on the crystal until he was afraid it might shatter. "I didn't mean-"

"Please, continue."

The interruption caught him by surprise and he found his gaze snapping up to meet the other man's. Kakashi's position hadn't shifted at all but the eye was softer, communicating more understanding now than anger. Dark strands of hair swung lightly as Iruka shook his head.

"It only gets worse. Trust me, you don't want to know and I really don't want to tell," he took a deep breath and placed his glass back on the table. He really didn't want to break it and have to pay for its replacement. "We made an agreement before coming on this plane that I would answer your questions, but I'm asking you not to ask me about this. I was a fool to say anything at all. It's not something you should know."

_Please, please Kami__, let him drop it._

Kakashi, it would seem, was not so easily dissuaded.

"What did you call your caregiver?"

_Bastard_.

He had a decision to make now. Go back on his word and not answer any more questions, or decide to open completely and tell the dark secrets he had never revealed to anyone. He took a moment to consider his position and Kakashi allowed him to do so without interruption. It was only a few hours out of his life. After the plane landed, he would never see the wealthy man again and it was said that it is sometimes easier to open up to a stranger than tell your dearest friend. He could tell Kakashi everything and there would be no repercussions because there would be no ongoing relationship. He would also be keeping his end of the agreement that gave him the means to get to Naruto, his most precious person, sooner than otherwise possible. He was, as much as he loathed admitting it, indebted to the strange man. If his payment were to be honest and open, well… his debt would be paid in full. Iruka took a deep breath.

"We called him 'The Warden', though his real name is Orochimaru."

The silver crowned head nodded once, in both acknowledgement of Iruka's words and his decision to honour their agreement.

"Please, go on."

Iruka stared down at his hands and allowed his eyes to un-focus once more. This made it easier to reach back into memories and to speak them aloud.

"He was incredibly cruel and highly intelligent. He would attack both physically and mentally, but unlike Kabuto, he'd take his sweet time about it. Hours would go by with him just speaking to you sometimes. There was a horrible wooden stool that sat in front of his desk. It was very tall and had no footrests so your feet would just hang. It also slanted slightly backwards and you'd have to adjust your posture to accommodate. After only a few minutes, your back would hurt and your legs would be going numb. Only one kid ever stood without permission though. After that beating, Hayate couldn't walk for a month and his lungs never did recover properly from having the broken ribs pierce them, he has a terrible cough. Kabuto had extensive medical training so we were never taken to a hospital and there were no doctors to question our treatment. The rest of us knew to stay seated.

"The Warden would talk to you for hours, starting off on mundane topics and somehow twisting your answers to sound dirty or suspicious, like you'd done something terrible. Over and over he'd ask questions, misconstrue the answers, and begin to lead your train of thought on a path where you had no intention of going. By the end of it I'd be convinced I'd done something disgustingly wrong, I'd feel guilty and terrified, my legs wouldn't work, my back was in excruciating pain, and the confusion was just so terrible. Once I was kept for five hours. It was unrelenting and by the end I was a complete and utter total mess, almost ready to beg for a beating just so it would end and I could crawl back to bed and heal.

"When he was finished, he would round the desk and place a kiss on my forehead. He'd tell me he enjoyed our little chat and to go on and play now. Stumbling from the room on dead legs I'd always wonder why he hated us so much, then one day I realised he didn't hate us at all. He loved us, and that prospect was even more terrifying. I was a lucky one though. Because of my scar," he ran his fingers over the line crossing his face again. "Orochimaru adored perfection. My mother did this to protect me from one mad man and it followed on to help protect me from another. This mark actually kept me from being the focus of his attention. Poor Naruto wasn't so lucky though."

The reminiscent spell was broken when Kakashi leant over and placed his own drink in front of Iruka, who blinked up at him questioningly.

"Are you trying to get me drunk, Kakashi?" he asked half jokingly and honestly grateful for the distraction from the dark memories.

"You need it more than I do. Drink. We'll have food soon enough."

Iruka searched the voice for pity or condescending and found neither. The softly spoken words were done so with little emotion but had an underlying tone of understanding. At the mention of food, a weight slammed into Iruka's chest. He had been sitting here and spilling his story to Kakashi while forgetting there were other ears present to listen in. The chocolate haired man looked around for Ino, but she was not anywhere to in sight. It was bad enough with one person knowing everything because of an agreement, but the blonde haired woman shouldn't have to hear it and he didn't want her to know.

"I sent her to sit in the cockpit back when you first mentioned Kabuto. Don't worry, she hasn't heard anything."

The tanned forehead creased as dark brows drew together in confusion.

"How did you know to send her away?"

Kakashi reached across and took Iruka's hand, placing the glass of amber alcohol in it before closing both their fingers around it.

"Your eyes told me. Now drink."

Iruka followed orders allowing the liquid to burn down his throat. He had already resigned himself to reveal all. Be it the alcohol numbing his emotions or just the fact that the older man seemed so non-judgemental, Iruka was finding a weight lifting by sharing his past with someone that wasn't in it and wouldn't be in his future. It was somewhat therapeutic.

A pale hand reached forward slowly and Iruka allowed fingers to brush over the dark line crossing his nose.

"Your mother… why?"

He sighed. At least this story was easier to tell, he had done it quite a few times.

"When I was four we were celebrating my dad getting a promotion at work. I didn't know what it meant at the time of course. All I knew was it made my parents happy and I was happy with them. The man who missed out on the promotion that my dad got was very angry and came to our house with a gun. He shot dad and was going to shoot my mother and me but decided to have some 'fun' first. I look like my mother mostly but I have my father's nose. The man threw a knife at my mum and told her that she was going to die but he would let me live if she disfigured my nose. Mum didn't even hesitate. True to his word, the man shot her just afterwards and left me alive. He walked out onto our front lawn, laughed hysterically, and shot himself. I ended up in the orphanage."

All this was told quite dispassionately. He preferred to remember his parents just before the mad man had burst into their lives. When they were laughing and dancing in the kitchen, cooking a large celebration dinner. Kakashi shook his head disbelievingly and looked like he wanted to touch the scar again, but refrained. Iruka knew their little question and answer session was far from over. There was still the worst part to cover and now he had told so much, the teacher felt like he wanted to get the last of it out.

"What happened to Naruto?"

There was the million-dollar question, the one that would lead them to the morbid finale of his tale. Looking out the window, Iruka watched as the sunset below them the clouds painted with stunning shades of gold and pink. He could talk about this; he just couldn't look at Kakashi while talking about it. By looking elsewhere while telling all, Iruka could imagine he was just saying the words and not actually talking to someone in particular. It was easier that way, there was less hurt and guilt.

"Naruto came to the orphanage when he was six and I ten. I'd already been there for six years by that stage and scarred when I arrived. My plain brown hair and eyes made me unremarkable, the scar on my nose unattractive. Kabuto used to love telling me how boring and disfigured I was compared to everyone else. I think he did it to hurt me but I was always so relieved to hear it because it meant they'd ignore me unless feeling particularly sadistic that day. Naruto though." Iruka sighed sadly. "Naruto was perfect, the picture of angelic innocence."

Chocolate eyes full of love met the single grey storm and Iruka smiled.

"He's so handsome, Kakashi. He has golden blonde hair and eyes the colour of a summer sky. Boundless energy, the brat never slows down, and a smile like sunshine." The dark eyes clouded again and turned back to the sunset.

"The Warden fell in love with him as soon as he was walked through the front gate. A tiny little tot whose previous caregiver had passed away, so he was sent to hell. On his first day, Orochimaru locked the two of them in his office for hours. Naruto came out looking confused, sick, and terrified. He crawled under the woodpile behind the gardener's shed and just started sobbing. That's when I found him. I'd run because Kabuto was looking for some entertainment and the other boys warned me they'd heard him mention my name. We stayed there all day, him crying and me holding him promising to teach him how to survive there. After that, we were inseparable. Because of his innocence and loving nature, the other boys and I took it upon ourselves to protect him and keep him as far from Kabuto and the Warden as possible. We felt that by keeping him from pain and torment we were protecting the innocence stolen from us."

Iruka drained the rest of the alcohol and took a deep breath.

"One night, about a year after Naruto arrived, Orochimaru called for him to be brought to his office. The little guy wouldn't let go of me when Kabuto came so I ended up getting dragged along too. For once, I was actually willing to go. I couldn't leave him to face that monster alone. Turned out a childless couple had seen Naruto through the fence and wanted to adopt him. Orochimaru was convinced that it was because of Naruto's beauty, he ranted that no one would steal it away and it belonged to him. He went mad, screaming at us and accusing us of trying to escape, of betraying his love for us and his unending devotion to Naruto. Then all hell broke loose. Kabuto burst into the office with a knife, screaming at Orochimaru about how all his beauty had wasted away waiting for him, believing that the Warden would eventually come to love him but instead wanted some little snot nosed brat. He grabbed Naruto and before Orochimaru or I could stop him, he carved six deep lines into the boy's cheeks. Three on both sides."

Tracing his own tanned cheeks with three fingers, Iruka imitated where the scars now lay on Naruto's face.

"A shot rang out and I remember catching Naruto as he fell from Kabuto's grip. Orochimaru had pulled a gun from somewhere and shot Kabuto in the stomach. I didn't even think, as soon as I saw that blood I grabbed Naruto's hand and ran. Orochimaru started screaming that I was stealing him and bullets flew everywhere. We were out the front door and sprinting across the courtyard toward the entrance gate when I was shot. The bastard literally shot me in the back and I went down. Everything was warped by the pain, but the other boys told me later that Naruto threw himself over me to try and protect me from the Warden." Iruka gave a pathetic laugh that came out on a breath.

"He was such a brave little trooper. We'd been trying to protect him but the kid was protecting me when he could have run. Orochimaru threw him off easily of course but damned if I don't love him for trying. I was about to get a bullet to the head when the cops came screaming in, lights and sirens blaring. Someone passing had heard the gun go off and called the police. The bastard tried to snake his way out of it, but they found Kabuto and once they saw the evidence of the abuse us boys had been through, well, he was done for. He actually ended up in a maximum-security nut house and I ended up having to learn how to walk again. I honestly don't know if Kabuto survived or not and I've never asked. It all worked out for the best in the end, we got the nicest old man you could ever imagine taking care of us from there on. His name was Sarutobi and he became the grandfather we'd never had. He taught us everything he knew with patience, praise, and a firm but fair hand. We loved him so much and I'm now trying to continue his work with some of my old buddies. That's why I still work at the orphanage."

Iruka felt incredibly tired after recounting everything, but a weight seemed to have lifted from his soul, even if only for a little while. He sighed tiredly and looked over at Kakashi with a small, twisted smile on his lips to find the man deep in thought, the long pale fingers once more entwined and hiding half the handsome face.

_Bet that was more than he bargained for when he __asked me to tell the story. He'll probably not want to ask me anything else for the rest of the flight. Maybe he won't want me to kiss him anymore. Damn, should have included something about a terrible and highly contagious disease in the story! Ah, but that'd be lying._

The idea that he wouldn't have to answer any more questions was an attractive one. Surely, Kakashi wouldn't want to know anything else now that he'd been bombarded with such an unexpected answer. Well, it served him right for forcing unsuspecting people into awkward situations, preying on their desperation for a bit of fun.

After a long and thoughtful silence, Kakashi finally seemed ready to comment and unlaced his fingers to reveal the sexy mouth set in a grim line.

"May I see the scar on your back?" Kakashi asked.

Well that was unexpected, but certainly made things more interesting. The wealthy stranger was again about to get more than he bargained for.

"Which one?" asked Iruka, an ironically bitter undertone to his words. "I have quite a few from those days thanks to Kabuto, but I guess you mean the bullet scar, right?"

Kakashi nodded and Iruka stood up to show him. Kakashi also stood and he was once again struck by just how tall the man was, that gravity defying hair not included.

"It's the spider-web looking one just to the right of my spine between my shoulder blades."

This was just another side to the surreal situation he found himself. He had never shown anyone his scars before. Naruto and the guys he grew up with knew about them of course (they all had their own fair share), and Sasuke had seen them when they'd all gone out on his boat and went swimming. The first time Sasuke had seen the scarring he looked like he wanted to murder someone. Iruka had just smiled and ruffled his hair, saying it was all in the past. Sasuke was the only one Naruto had ever told about their past and Sasuke did not speak of it out of respect. This was the first time Iruka had ever told anyone of his past and the first time someone outside of his close-knit group would see the marks on his skin.

Turning around, he pulled the back of his shirt over his head so it sat on his shoulders and still covered his front, leaving his back completely exposed to view. To Kakashi's credit, his only reaction was a small, sharp intake of air. Iruka knew his back well and knew what an unsightly mess it looked with all the crossing, jagged marks of pale and dark toughened skin. He expected the silver haired man to ask him to cover it again, but instead gave a very unmanly and surprised yelp as he felt gentle fingers brush over where the bullet had gone in. Strong hands grasped his shoulders, preventing him from leaping away from the touch. He instead turned large, startled eyes over his shoulder to stare at the man standing behind. That grey eye met his briefly before turning back to the marred skin. One pale hand left his shoulder to touch the spider-webbed scar, skimming it lightly and sending a shiver of sensation down the owner's spine.

"Does it hurt?" that smooth voice asked in a low tone.

Iruka shook his head. "N-no."

The hand moved to trace other scars, skimming over long straight thin ones, badly healed rough slashes, the mottled puckered skin near his waist from a burn, there were so many different types.

"Why were you so surprised when I touched them?" Kakashi asked using the same low tone, almost as if he were trying to calm a frightened animal.

Iruka gave a small gasp and his eyes closed momentarily as a particularly sensitive scar was stroked.

"No one's… No one's ever touched my back before. Not like this. Before, it was always to make a new mark. No one's ever just… touched it."

Part of him wanted to run away, to push off this strange man and hide his shame again from the world. It was too weird, to have that area caressed and not damaged further. To feel someone touch there but not have the red-haze of pain follow. Another part absolutely revelled in the gentle stroking, the light exploration, and the new sensations from having those old wounds given attention. Some were completely numb and he could only feel pressure from the fingers skimming over but no sensation at all in the skin itself. Others were extremely sensitive and caused electric currents to shoot up and down his spine. It was a completely new experience and he almost wanted to lean back into the touch, silently beg for more.

"One day," the deep voice flowed past his ear as the fingers returned to the particularly sensitive scar, making Iruka give another small gasp and shiver, "I'll get you to tell me about how you got each and every one of these."

Iruka stepped away from Kakashi and pulled his shirt back over his head. Turning, he raised serious dark eyes and shook his head.

"After this plane lands, you and I will never see each other again," he stated clearly.

Their eyes locked and the atmosphere became very tense. Iruka didn't feel like he was in danger from the larger man, rather that Kakashi was not used to being told no and was struggling not to argue about it.

Finally, the handsome face relaxed into a smile and Kakashi gestured towards the comfortable seats.

"Well I'd best get all my questions answered while possible, hadn't I?"

Iruka nodded and took the indicated chair.

"That was our agreement," he stated flatly.

"Indeed," was the murmured response. "But for now, I'm hungry and you mentioned before you've not eaten in a fair while."

A button was pressed next to Kakashi's seat and the door to the cockpit opened seconds later. Ino approached the men with a polite smile.

"What may I get for you, sir?"

"Dinner please, Ino, and some tea."

"Yes sir," she bowed politely and turned to Iruka. "Do you have any dietary requirements, sir?"

Not even the kids in his class called him 'sir' and it was very strange to hear himself referred to as such. It made him feel older than his years.

"Ah, I'm allergic to bananas. Other than that I eat pretty much anything," he chuckled and bashfully scratched the back of his head. "Ino-san, would you mind just calling me Iruka? Getting called sir is too strange."

For the first time since they got on the plane, Ino's face split into a very pretty and honest smile. It instantly lifted the tense atmosphere.

"Of course I can, Iruka-san. And don't worry; there aren't bananas in anything I'm serving tonight. I'll make doubly sure!"

"Thank you. I can't wait to see what's for dinner, I'm sure it'll be good."

The young woman seemed to swell with pride and flipped her long hair over her shoulder.

"I can guarantee it'll be good. My husband cooked and he knows food! None of that microwaved junk served around here, no way."

She turned and strode off to the kitchenette, closing the door behind her to afford them privacy.

Iruka turned and smiled at Kakashi.

"It must be nice to have a partner who has so much pride in what you do. Her husband's a lucky guy. She seems very committed to him. She didn't even check you out when we arrived so I thought she might have been more into her own kind."

A pale eyebrow rose and the younger man again wondered if the other rose with it.

"Why would you expect her to check me out?" Kakashi asked, innocence oozing from every pale pore.

Iruka wasn't buying it.

"Don't play coy, Kakashi. It doesn't suit your 'I'm a manipulative bastard' persona," he grinned at the innocent expression the silver haired man had adopted. "You know full well that a swath of women hit the ground in your wake suffering from blood loss. Honestly, I'm surprised there isn't a safety announcement broadcast every time you leave the house."

He lifted a tanned hand to cup his mouth, imitating what an announcement might sound like over the radio.

"Your attention please. In the interests of public safety, _all_ women within a five-mile radius of downtown Tokyo should be aware that Hatake Kakashi has entered the vicinity. Severe blood loss and the spontaneous combustion of underwear are imminent. Run for your _lives_!"

Kakashi cracked up laughing and Iruka joined him, delighting in the sound and the fact that he was the one to incite it.

"Of course they would have to announce it not just for the women… as you well know, Iruka."

The laughter died as the teacher's cheeks flushed and rubbed at the scar on his nose uncomfortably. He didn't know what to say to that. Was it possible that Kakashi still wanted him to fulfil the second part of their agreement, even after all the terrible things he'd been told? Why would he want to kiss Iruka anyway, or rather have Iruka kiss him? The man really was confusing. He was manipulative, considerate, dangerous, kind, funny, a total bastard, incredibly sexy, domineering, non-judgemental, dominating, and understanding.

He was incredibly strong and fast, obviously had combat training from the way he moved and had managed to manoeuvre around Iruka so easily flipping him onto the bed, yet surprisingly gentle. He had not hurt Iruka once despite having manhandled him a few times. The silver haired stranger really was a cacophony of contradictions. Women fell at his feet like offerings and he was obviously attracted to them, but he chose instead to play with a plain, scarred man from the ticket collection line. It just didn't make sense. Nothing about the man made sense.

Kakashi was quite happily entertained studying the parade of emotions marching across the smaller man's features and grinned.

"What's on your mind?"

"You're weird." Tanned hands clapped over his mouth a second after the words escaped, as if he were trying to catch them in the air and force them back down his throat.

The older man let out a bark of laughter and nodded his head.

"That's certainly a fair assessment given our unusual relationship."

Iruka was mortified. "That was so rude of me, I'm terribly sorry. It's just… you don't make any sense."

"Why?" The pale lips quirked in a 'I know what you're thinking' smirk. "Is it because I want you to kiss me?"

_Damn it! How did he know? Am I that obvious?_

"Yes," was the highly amused answer to the silent question and Iruka's jaw dropped. "You have a very revealing face. One I find rather attractive, by the way."

He blushed scarlet again and a small voice at the back of his mind wondered if this much blood flow to the head was healthy. He was just spluttering for a reply when Ino returned and brought them green tea.

_Thank goodness,__ I can use something calming._

Dinner followed moments later and what an affair it was.

The food was incredible and Iruka had never eaten such a delicious meal in his life. Everything was flavoured, spiced, and cooked to perfection. It was absolutely exquisite. A serving of salmon misoyaki and vegetable tempura started them off, served with a slightly sweet white wine perfectly complimenting the flavours. Next was mahi mahi butteryaki and snow crab with yuzu chilli citrus sauce along with seasoned steamed rice. Another glass of wine was poured, this one not so sweet but still fitting with the meal ideally.

Iruka was in food heaven and had to control his eating speed so as not to rush. He savoured every bite and tried to remember the flavours to attempt to recreate them later in his own humble kitchen. He would likely never achieve it, but he would give it a damn fine shot. He was so caught up in the new flavours that he didn't notice Kakashi subtly pushing extra bits of food his way, the silver haired man watching and listening intently as the teacher ate.

"Ino-san, your husband is amazing! This is the best food I've ever eaten," Iruka sincerely complimented with a wide smile.

She flushed prettily and beamed a brilliant smile.

"Oh, Choji will be thrilled to hear that. He hears it all the time of course but never tires of it, especially when it's with such sincerity. I'm glad you enjoyed it, Iruka-san! You could certainly use some fattening up. I like my men with a bit of meat but you're all skin and bone. I'll find something else for you to eat, Choji always packs extra."

The comment about his being skinny was true, but Iruka couldn't help it. He and his friends joked that they'd starved for the first half of their lives, spent a few years trying to make up for it under Sarutobi's care, then become poor teachers and started starving all over again. It was only so funny because it was true.

"Oh no, really I'm completely full," he protested but Ino ignored him and bustled off back to the front of the plane.

"Nonsense! Men always have room for more."

Kakashi chuckled at the worried look on Iruka's face. The smaller man turned helpless eyes on him.

"Really, I don't think I can eat any more," he insisted.

'Mah, I'm sure you've got a gap somewhere," Kakashi said with a smile. "With the amount of food you packed away over dinner I think you must have hollow legs."

Iruka laughed a bit at that as Ino came back out with a plate of sweet bean curd parcels with teriyaki sauce and two bowls of green tea ice cream.

"Choji cooks for one of the finest restaurants in New York. Ino here manages to convince him to cook dinner for the passengers of the flights she works, which makes her in hot demand." He gave the blonde woman a fond smile and she returned it. Iruka got the distinct impression they were old friends and their roles of hostess and passenger were just an act.

"Yes," agreed Ino, "but I always have time for food loving folks like yourselves. Now eat up, he's too skinny."

Iruka was again thrust up into the soaring ecstasy of food heaven. Everything was just so good! Once they had finished, the dishes were cleared away, warm towels were offered to clean hands, and Iruka was left basking in the beautiful afterglow of a food-gasm.

A comfortable silence had settled between the two men as they sat and digested the sumptuous meal, Kakashi sipping on after dinner sake while Iruka stuck with tea. The businessman seemed to have be content to leave off the questioning over dinner and Iruka was grateful for the break. There was still the second part of their agreement that he had to fulfil though. How would he do it? Obviously, a touching of lips was kind of essential but to actually walk over there and just kiss him seemed so… strange. Should he announce his intentions first? Give some sort of warning? How long should he touch lips for? He was sure just a quick peck was a copout but working up to full on tongue was too intimidating. Nervously, Iruka rubbed at his scar and missed the knowing smile that flittered across the other man's face.

The door of the kitchenette opened again and Ino approached them.

"Was there anything else you needed, sir?" she asked Kakashi.

"No thank you, I'll call if we do."

With a polite bow and warm smile in Iruka's direction, she once more disappeared through the door to the cockpit, leaving the two men completely alone. There was silence again between them; however, while Kakashi looked completely content and relaxed Iruka was fiddling nervously with a fold in his jeans. The teacher knew it was no good just sitting here and getting himself all worked up over the kiss, it was the perfect time to do it. There were no questions, all the dark stories were out in the open, and they were both relaxed.

_Just get up and do it. Don't think, just do it. How hard can it be? You touch lips, that's all there is to it._

Hell, they had already kissed earlier that day, why was this so hard?

_Because I didn't have to initiate the last one__, I just had to respond. It was easier._

Aw hell, It was no good just sitting here and working himself into an agitated state. He'd just do it, not say anything, and just do it. Kakashi would be able to read the signs, he wasn't an idiot.

Throwing a fugitive glance at the older man and nervously nibbling at soft skin at the tip of his thumb, Iruka saw his target to be lazily looking at the star filled sky. Maybe Kakashi didn't want to be interrupted. Perhaps the wealthy man was very happy looking out of the window and would be annoyed if Iruka disturbed him.

_Maybe__, I should stop being such a damn coward and just kiss the manipulative bastard before I wimp out and don't hold up my end of the bargain!_

If the situation was looked at realistically, he had gotten a comfortable plane ride, amazing food, and almost a free counselling session all for the price of answering questions and a kiss. Just a simple kiss. Ok, he was going to do this. Right now. Any second now.

_Oh,__ get the hell up and go over there__!_ he mentally yelled at himself.

Biting down hard on his thumb tip (enough to hurt but not break the skin), Iruka swivelled his chair to the side and stood up. As he stepped around the table, Kakashi seemed to come out of his musings and turned his own chair to face Iruka with a politely curious look on his face but a hungry edge to his eye.

A new obstacle presented itself in the length of taller man's legs. Iruka didn't want to lean over them, as that would be uncomfortable for him and possibly threatening for Kakashi. Instead he did what felt right. He reached down and placed his hands on older man's knees, moving them apart. The darker man knelt between the long, denim clad thighs and looked up with nervous chocolate eyes to meet an unreadable single grey orb. The silk cover and jagged scar trailing down the otherwise unblemished skin had Iruka slowly moving his hands towards it. The faster man could have stopped him at any time, but was motionless as Iruka slipped the silk wrap over his head and gently smoothed the thick silver hair out of the way. The last of Kakashi's face was revealed in a long scar and closed eye, framed with fine, pale lashes.

The scar trailed from the pale forehead down to cut through a silver eyebrow, travel over the eyelid, and half way down the well-defined cheek. Iruka reached up and stroked across the silky eyebrow with the thumb he'd bitten earlier, feeling the dip where the scar lay. The eyelashes fluttered then rose and Iruka gasped.

Beneath, lay a red eye. The iris was deep, blood red with three strange black markings surrounding the pupil. He had never seen anything like it in his entire life! It stared at him with an almost hypnotising intensity and a burning question.

_What will you do now?_

Unexpected as the eye's appearance was, Iruka thought it somehow looked… right. It was just another strange facet in the bizarre package that made up Hatake Kakashi. Smiling warmly, Iruka reached out and traced the scar gently from top to bottom, the red eye briefly hiding behind an eyelid before reappearing again. Iruka placed his hands on either side of the handsome, pale face and looked directly into the mismatched eyes.

"I like your scar," he whispered shyly before leaning forward, hesitating ever so briefly, and softly pressing his lips to the thinner ones.

Kakashi didn't move for a few seconds as Iruka kissed him, then he pushed forward and wrapped his hands around Iruka's biceps, holding the smaller man in place. He allowed Iruka to lead, the kiss soft, gentle, and unsure. The tanned hands moved from the pale face to the long neck, fingers brushing against the stunning, silver hair. After a few moments and a final catch at the older man's top lip, Iruka pulled back and paused uncertainly. He would have gotten up and returned to his seat but his arms were still held in a strong grip that didn't feel like it would be releasing any time soon. Instead, he took the opportunity to feel that unusual hair slide between his fingers and once more locked gazes with those incredible, mismatched eyes.

"You've never kissed anyone before, have you?" The low, huskily voiced question sounded more like a statement but Iruka found himself answering anyway.

"I kissed you earlier today," he said while flushing at the memory, ducking his head slightly, and removing his hands from the other man's body.

Kakashi shook his head.

"No," he breathed, "I kissed you and you responded. You've never initiated a kiss before, have you? You only kissed me now because of our agreement."

Iruka didn't have to respond. The answer was clear in the timidness of his kiss. Kakashi leaned back and raised a hand to cup the smaller man's cheek, pale thumb brushing over the edge of the dark scar.

"If you decide to kiss me again, I won't say no."

He released the nervous teacher completely and Iruka stared up at him with wide eyes.

_I can kiss him again. If I want to, I can start it or I can walk away. It's up to me._

Iruka remained kneeling between the taller man's legs for a moment before making his decision.

Taking an audible swallow and moistening his lips with a quick tongue, the younger man leaned forward again and curled his hands into Kakashi's shirt. Stretching up and gently pulling the larger man a little closer, he pressed his lips to Kakashi's. The businessman was right, it was different because it had been his choice and his alone. He led the kiss for a few moments before a strong arm wrapped around him and a hand cradled the back of his head. The silver crowned head tilted, deepening their kiss as the more experienced man took control, however, it was Iruka that first swiped the other's lips with a flick of his tongue. Pale lips opened in invitation and the shy tongue crept forward into the new territory.

At the first swipe, Kakashi moaned. At the second caress, Kakashi's hold tightened. By the third, the silver haired man could no longer hold back and took charge. With a desire-filled groan, Kakashi pulled out Iruka's hair tie and buried his hands in the long, dark tresses. The kiss became deeper still as they explored each other's mouths, tongues sliding and caressing, Iruka was so distracted by the new sensations he forgot to breathe. Finally, he had to pull back to gasp for air. The older man did not even pause, he returned to the sensitive area on Iruka's neck he'd found earlier that day and began to nibble, lick, and suck again. There was already a small mark there from earlier, but Iruka hadn't been near a mirror yet and didn't know of it. Kakashi got to work on making it bigger while whimpers and moans escaped the young teacher. Those sounds went straight to the larger man's groin.

In their position, they couldn't get close enough to each other, and the taller man wanted to touch, caress, and kiss more. Strong arms slid under Iruka's armpits and hauled him upward as Kakashi stood. The smaller man was pushed back three steps and spun around; all the while, his neck still being assaulted all the while. That wonderful mouth suddenly disappeared and just as he opened his eyes to see what was going on Iruka felt hands slide behind his knees to yank them forward and apart making them buckle. He fell a short distance before coming to a stop in a position he thought he would never find himself in, especially not with another man. He was straddling Kakashi's lap, who had relocated them to the couch. The startled teacher given a bare moment to contemplate his new position before his mouth was hungrily recaptured.

Oh Kami, it was so hard to think while being kissed like that. Hadn't he promised himself no repeats of the hotel room incident? Kakashi took hold of his hips, pulling them flush together and all thought fled the teacher's head. All he could do was feel and it all felt so damn _good_! Pale hands left his slender hips and travelled upwards, sliding beneath his shirt to skim up warm, trembling sides. Kakashi broke the kiss and leaned forward to run his tongue over the shell of Iruka's ear. Iruka was once again a panting mess, eyes tightly closed against the onslaught of sensations as he wrapped his arms around Kakashi's shoulders to hold on for dear life. Those wonderful hands slid across the flat skin of his stomach and trailed upward to brush over taut nipples. Two fingers captured a nipple between them, causing Iruka to gasp as the smooth voice whispered in his ear.

"You've never had someone touch you like this before, have you?"

Iruka could only shake his head in answer. The other large hand was sliding back down his body to wrap around his hips and hold him tight. The deep, husky voice drew his broken attention again.

"You've never had anyone touch you to bring pleasure. You've never let anyone close enough and no one bothered trying. Fools, all of them."

_Oh Kami, how does he know so much?_

Sharp teeth gently nipped at his ear, drawing a whimper that quickly turned into a needy moan as the fingers bordering his nipple began to gently roll it.

The arm wrapped around his hips pulled forward, causing the strain in his jeans to slide up against the larger man's flat stomach, at the same time the fingers gave the dark nipple a small tug. Iruka had to bury his face in the pale neck to muffle the cry that tore from his throat. At the same time as he was pulled forward, he felt the bulge in Kakashi's pants beneath him. As he was dragged over it, a low moan had flowed from the older man's throat, adding to the teacher's confused excitement.

"You've never had anyone pleasure you, that's why you're so damn responsive."

The fingers continued to perk and roll his nipple and Iruka couldn't get enough air.

"I want more," moaned Kakashi's deep voice. "I want to touch more."

The fabric of Iruka's shirt was tugged upward and a flash of panic speared his chest, breaking through the pleasure-induced haze.

"No," he gasped, leaning away from the silver haired man. "No, I-"

"Shhhh…" The pale lips were back and caressing gently over his again. "Don't worry. Don't think. Just feel. Just let me make you feel."

Those warm hands were stroking all over his chest, lulling him back into a mindless state. His shirt began to rise again and this time he didn't fight it, just gave a distressed keen when he had to raise his arms for it to come off properly. The fabric was pulled over his head and his long hair fell down to brush across his bare shoulders and upper back.

He looked down nervously to find the older man running mismatched eyes and pale hands over his smooth, unscarred chest and stomach. All the damage had been done to his back, as Kabuto had always told him that his front was already ugly enough with the scar running across his face, only the back needed to match it. Although he had always been grateful for his plain looks, Iruka had always believed he was incredibly unsightly because of his extensive and horrific scarring. To be so exposed in front of this sexy, gorgeous man was terrifying. What if he was pushed away with disgust? Could he deal with such blatant rejection after being made to feel so amazing? Kakashi, however, didn't seem to find his front ugly at all. An arm wrapped back around his hips as the other rose to bury a hand in his loose hair. Narrowed, mismatched eyes turned upward to hold his anxious gaze, the look in them intense and ever so slightly angry around the obvious lust.

"You've been lied to, Iruka. Your whole life, you've been lied to. You're beautiful." The pale hand tangled in his hair pulled him forwards towards that dangerously sexy mouth. "You're so fucking beautiful."

Iruka met the forceful kiss and desperately returned it, cupping the pale face with his own hands, and tangling dark fingers in silver hair. The arm around his hips pulled him forward again and he moaned into Kakashi's mouth, hearing the other growl deep in his throat.

Twice obviously wasn't enough for the more experienced male and Iruka found his hips being pulled forward again and again, over and over while he panted hopelessly between uncontrolled kisses. Kakashi broke away from his lips and pulled down on the soft, chocolate strands so the tanned face tilted upward. A hot tongue dragged up the teacher's neck, causing him to moan loudly and buck into the warm body below. This in turn had the older man gasping in pleasure and nibbling his way across an exposed collarbone. When that talented mouth first descended on his nipple, Iruka had to clap a hand over his own mouth to stifle the cry. The small nub was sucked, tongued, and nibbled on relentlessly, sending sharp jolts of pleasure through his body. He so desperately wanted, so desperately needed…

"Ka-Kakashi," he moaned wantonly and the older man instantly lifted his head, kissing the tanned throat and full lips before nipping again at the lobe of his ear.

"What do you want, Iruka? Tell me."

What did he want? He wanted to touch, caress, and stroke the pale body in front of him. He wanted to strip away that black silk shirt and run his hands over the warm, pale skin beneath. To feel it press up against his less desirable skin and absorb its every movement.

_Bu__t how do I ask for it?_

It seemed like such an embarrassing thing to do, but Kakashi had done it. Was that not his shirt now lying on the plush blue carpeting somewhere behind him?

"I… I want this off," he whispered into the silver hair while his hands tugged on the silky fabric.

A deep chuckle flowed over his shoulder and down his scarred back. "Then take it off."

That was all he needed and his lips found the side of the pale neck as his fingers unfastened the first button. Following what was done to him earlier and remembering how good it felt, he nibbled, licked, and sucked at the pale column as his fingers undid each button holding that dark fabric together. Finally, the last one came undone and he nuzzled the silver hair as his fingers brushed against the uncovered skin. Leaning back, Iruka looked down at what he had uncovered and felt his breath catch at the sight. Kakashi was perfection. Every lean muscle stood out with stunning definition and the pale skin seemed almost to glow, framed by the dark silk. A trail of soft silver hair surrounded his naval before trailing down and disappearing below the top of dark jeans.

_Kami…__ he's flawless_.

The strong arms only hampered him for a second as Iruka slid off Kakashi's lap, once more positioning himself on his knees between the gorgeous man's legs. First, he ran his hands over the exposed skin, slowly tracing every muscle and grove with his fingertips and listening as the pale man's breathing became slowly heavier. Then, led by pure desire and the need to taste, he leaned forward and licked a line up the central grove of the stomach muscles. His tongue ran from naval to diaphragm and a long, low moan sounded at his ministrations.

Iruka's confidence increased as he explored the exposed expanse of skin with lips, teeth, and tongue listening to the older man's reactions to discover what he liked, not that it really helped, as he seemed to like everything the inexperienced teacher was doing. The first time Iruka flicked his tongue over a pale pink nipple, Kakashi had hissed. When he sucked it into his mouth a groan trembled through the strong body and hands fisted in dark strands to hold his head in place. Not that Iruka needed to be held, he was thoroughly enjoying his exploration and the sounds being drawn forth. He was concentrating so intently on what he was doing that the deep growl and push backward (even though it wasn't very hard) caught him completely by surprise. He was so surprised that he overbalanced and landed on his backside, looking up at Kakashi with huge, shocked eyes as the large man stood over him.

_Oh shit! I've done something wrong. He's come to his senses. He doesn't want me anymore. Oh fuck!_

The panic only increased and warred with admiration as the black silk shirt was shrugged off, revealing powerfully muscled arms, and the tall man reached down for him. Ingrained childhood reactions took over and Iruka flinched back, flinging his arms over his head to block the blow. Strong hands gripped his biceps and he was hauled upward and against Kakashi's chest.

"Don't," said the deep, husky voice. "Don't ever flinch from me, Iruka. I'll never hit you."

Those arms he had been dodging a few seconds before wrapped around him tightly, hands caressing over old scars soothingly. Iruka twitched as his back was caressed and fought the urge to push away. Kakashi wouldn't hurt him, the large man had said so and Iruka felt that he was speaking the truth. The teacher took a deep breath, fortifying breathed before forcing away his fear and turning his mouth back to the pale neck again. He bit down a little too hard in surprise as one of Kakashi's hands wandered lower and cupped the straining material at the front of his jeans. The older man hissed at that lovely balance of pleasure and pain as Iruka pulled away.

"I'm sor-" he was interrupted.

"Don't be. It was good." The pale hands moved to the waistband of his jeans and with a flick, undid the button. "I'm going to take these off now."

Iruka gulped and his heartbeat became an erratic mess.

The pale lips took his in a searing kiss as the zip was pulled down and the denim pushed off his hips to pool at his ankles. Iruka slid his fingers into that glorious silver hair and deepened the kiss as his boxers followed suit.

_Oh, oh crap. I'm naked. _

Fingers lightly slid down over his straining member, teasing in their lightness as they moved from head to base.

"Mmm… very nice," Kakashi murmured and a shudder ran through the tanned body.

Kakashi wrapped his hand more firmly around the stiff shaft and began to pump it slowly.

"Holy shit…" Iruka panted and felt the thin lips against his shoulder smirk.

His legs held all of about thirty seconds before buckling, and Kakashi manoeuvred him to a sitting position on the couch. Now they'd swapped positions, with Kakashi kneeling between Iruka's legs. Before the bewildered teacher could gather his thoughts, the man pleasuring him stripped him of his footwear and the pants and underwear still hooked around his ankles. He could only look down dazedly as the older man's hand returned to his erection and continued to pump him, leaning forward to take a nipple into his talented mouth. The double stimuli soon had the younger man whimpering and moaning helplessly.

"Did you know," Kakashi said, as he began licking his way down Iruka's abdomen, "that when you eat you sigh and moan like you're having sex. It makes me want to hear what you'd sound like during the real thing. If you get that much pleasure from food alone, what will you sound like when I do this?"

A tongue flicked over the sensitive head of his cock and Iruka sucked in a deep breath of air. He grasped the pale board shoulders with restraining hands, trying to hold the larger man away.

"Wai-, oh crap!" Another tongue swipe. "Wait, you don't have to."

The vibrations from the kneeling man's chuckle travelled through the teacher's thighs.

"Trust me, Iruka; I only ever do what I want to."

With that said Kakashi took the entire weeping shaft into his mouth and had to clap a hand over the younger male's lips as he cried out in pleasure.

Iruka's mind went to total mush, eyes falling closed leaving behind only sensation and gratification. As Kakashi had ordered earlier, he couldn't think, he could only feel. The long, elegant hands held his hips in a tight grip. That mouth and tongue did amazing, wonderful things drawing him in spirals ever higher until he knew he was at his limit.

"Ka-Kakashi, stop," he panted heavily. "Stop, I'm- Ahhhh! Dear Gods, I'm going to…Oh shit."

He forced his eyes open and looked down as an incredible swirl by that talented tongue took him to the absolute edge. It was the visual image of the gorgeous man, kneeling between his legs watching him intently with those stunning mismatched eyes, which pushed him over though. His hands fisted on the cream leather and his back arched as release crashed though his slender body in powerful waves. Hazed brown eyes closed tight against the multitude of pleasure and a pale hand clamped over his mouth again, helping to mute his loud cry of abandon as he rode out his orgasm.

Finally, the intensity of the pulses lessened and Iruka was left feeling shaken and panting heavily as Kakashi licked a trail back up his flat stomach. All his bones felt like they had melted and just left him as a puddle of sated muscles. He had never felt so satisfied in all his life. It was embarrassing to be completely exposed in front of someone as flawless as Kakashi, even more so to lose the ultimate control and become such wanton putty in his hands. He didn't know why this man who could have anyone would want to touch a scarred, plain nobody like him, but he wasn't going to fight it. Not at that moment. Kakashi laid them out on the couch, one arm holding the smaller man close and the other running long fingers through soft chocolate locks.

"You are so responsive," Kakashi whispered as Iruka tried to calm his hammering heart. "You have no idea how stunning you are. How much I want to touch you, taste you, and watch you squirm as I explore this… this addictive body."

Warm hands began to roam over his skin again and rather than his heartbeat slowing down, Iruka found it speeding up at the skilful caresses. He wanted more. He wanted to be touched, but he wanted to do to Kakashi what the older man had done to him. He didn't think he was brave enough or talented enough to take Kakashi into his mouth, but he wanted to feel his arousal in his hands. He wanted to make the handsome stranger pant breathlessly and moan as he'd been made to moan. He wanted to cause Kakashi to lose that control he'd had over their situation since they had met. He just wanted more.

"Kakashi," he said, flushing in shy embarrassment as he buried his face in the pale neck. A tanned hand trailed downward over the defined muscles and rested on the belt buckle, "I want to touch you."

He didn't wait for permission, he just started to slide the leather out of the belt loops and unbuckle the silver fastening. As the teacher undid the top button and drew down the zipper, his full lips slid over and teased the skin of the paler man's shoulder. He listened as Kakashi's breathing increased when he slid his hand beneath the band of silk boxers to finally cup the firmness contained therein.

"Holy shit," he breathed. "You're huge!"

A low growl sounded in the pale throat and Iruka found himself shifted to lie beneath the larger man as his lips were captured in a hard, demanding kiss. Kakashi used one arm to prop himself up, elbow bent and his forearm acting as a pillow for Iruka's head. His other hand cupped a cinnamon cheek and the businessman bushed his thumb over the edge of the scar again.

"Just what every man loves to hear," he said huskily before that silver crowned head lowered to kiss him again.

Iruka hadn't removed his hand from its place and continued to explore the hardened member curiously.

Finally, the inexperienced man built up his courage and bought his other hand down to push the denim and silk past the lean hips, fully freeing his target. Now he could explore with ease and rubbed his other hand over the broad expanse of the larger man's back. Iruka could only do what he thought he would enjoy and wrapped his hand around the shaft to begin pumping it up and down. Kakashi let out a throaty moan.

_Oh, that's what I want_.

The kiss was broken and Kakashi dropped his head to Iruka's shoulder, eyes closed as his breath became ragged. Iruka watched in fascination, feeling his own arousal rising strong again at the miraculous sight of the stunning man aroused and wanting because of his touch. It was intoxicating, making him headier than the whiskey earlier ever could. Then Kakashi did something completely unexpected.

The older man pulled his fingers from Iruka's hair and reached down, caught the smaller hand, pulled it away from his cock, and pressed the tanned wrist into his other hand. Kakashi then reached back down between them and, lowering his hips, took hold of both their erections. Gasping, Iruka arched up and bucked into the touch, making them both groan. The large hand began to move and the darker man was lost.

He blindly searched with his lips for the ones above, tugging on the un-relenting grip around his wrist. His other hand dug short nails into the muscled back of the body coving his. Those lips he'd been searching for fastened onto that wonderfully sensitive spot at the juncture of neck and shoulder to bite down sharply before laving it with a hot, wet tongue.

Moans, gasps, and whimpers punctuated the air, and not all of them from Iruka. Kakashi lifted his head and stared down at the responsive body beneath his, the younger man's expressive eyes were closed against the onslaught of sensation, soft lips open and moaning.

"Open your eyes, Iruka. Look at me."

The long lashes rose and glazed dark irises locked with grey and red.

"I'm not going to take you tonight," Kakashi whispered huskily, watching comprehension and confusion dawn in the warm brown depths. "When I do take you, when I enter your body and make love to you, I want it to be where you can scream out my name and I can explore you for hours."

A shudder ran over the honey skin and the flush on Iruka's cheeks deepened. Kakashi could tell the inexperienced man was nearing the end and so was he.

"Come for me, Iruka. Let me watch you come."

It was more than Iruka could take. His back arched and eyes screwed shut again as the overwhelming sensation flowed through his body, concentrating in his groin. Warm lips fastened over his as he screamed his release into Kakashi's mouth. His scream was joined a second later by the older man's deep groan as a second hot liquid joined Iruka's, mixing on the tanned stomach.

Kakashi gave a few more gentle strokes before stilling his hand and releasing Iruka's wrist from his other one. Iruka barely even noticed. They panted together for a moment, their heart rates slowing as after tingles of pleasure warmed their skin. When Kakashi climbed off him, Iruka couldn't even bring himself to open an eye, he was exhausted. The warmth of a towel cleaning his skin made him force his eyelids up to find the handsome face smiling down at him softly.

"Pull your clothes back on, then you can sleep."

"Ok," the sleepy teacher mumbled and reached for the garments discarded earlier. He had hoped that pulling them all back on would help him feel a bit more awake, but his eyes kept trying to close and Kakashi pushed him down onto the soft cushions. He didn't argue. It wasn't like arguing with the older man had gotten him anywhere so far anyway.

"Is it always like that?" Iruka asked yawning as the afterglow buzz and total relaxation carried him towards sleep.

"No Iruka," he heard the older man chuckle as warm lips pressed softly against his and he drifted into slumber. "That was only foreplay."

**……**

Angry whispering voices drew Iruka back to consciousness with a yawn. He pushed himself up on an elbow and rubbed at still tired eyes before blinking blearily at his surroundings. With the short snippets of sleep he was occasionally stealing – all thanks to Kakashi, he had to admit albeit grudgingly – he still felt constantly tired but was reenergised just enough to keep going.

"Oh, I'm sorry to have woken you, Iruka-san," Ino apologised, "but I'm afraid you'll have to take your other seat. It's time to land."

_Oh joy. My second favourite part of flying, _he thought sarcastically and pushed his hair out of his face.

"No problem." Iruka suppressed another yawn and smiled sheepishly. "Guess I crashed out."

Ino gave him a kind smile before turning to the other person in the room.

"Do you require anything before landing, sir?"

Was it his imagination or did the young woman's politeness sound very strained.

"Just privacy," Kakashi answered in a dismissive tone.

Yep, something was definitely up between those two. Iruka had had the sneaking feeling they knew each other better than just passenger and crew, but he didn't think they'd ever been intimate. Ino's immunity to Kakashi's charm was a good indication for one thing and if she had slept with him then she'd likely be begging for more. Because the man was certainly… skilled…

Images of a pale naked body and hands all over him crashed back down with the force and intensity that only comes from the return of memories after sleep.

_Oh my God! I got naked with Kakashi!_

He had touched him and kissed him and…Kakashi had touched him back. He had seen Iruka exposed in all his flawed defective glory. Had heard him moan and felt him fumble and…this was so humiliating. When he had been trying to pleasure the more experienced man, Kakashi had removed his hand and gone so far as to even restrain it before taking over. At the time, it had been sexy and a little wickedly dominating but now he thought back on it…had he really been that bad? That unpleasing?

How utterly, devastatingly, and completely embarrassing. How pathetic.

Humiliation flooded his system and his face flushed darkly as Ino gave a jerky little bow to Kakashi and went to rejoin the pilots, anger evident in her movements. Pushing himself up into a sitting position, Iruka remembered what Kakashi had said earlier about him being easy to read and firmly stamped down on the emotions rioting within him. He had to keep calm, at least externally. Something very warm fell off his shoulder and the teacher looked down to discover a large black jacket lying next to his hip. He glanced up to find the likely owner watching him quietly.

"Yours?" he asked awkwardly, more to break the silence than out of any real want for an answer.

The taller man smirked and walked over to him as Iruka nervously ran his hand through his mussed dark hair and searched the floor for his hair tie. When his fellow traveller kneeled in front of him, Iruka was forced to make eye contact noting that the silk wrap was back covering the amazing red eye.

"You really are adorable when you wake up flustered," the older man said happily.

Iruka frowned and damned the blush darkening his cheeks.

"Shut up," he mumbled embarrassedly, tucking some wayward strands behind his ear. "Have you seen my hair tie?"

Kakashi just grinned and his grey eye sparkled with amusement.

"You're adorable when grumpy too."

_Asshole_, Iruka thought as he gave the man a frustrated glare.

"We're landing soon right?" he asked irritably, swallowing to relieve the building pressure in his ears. "Will it be at a proper airport or one of those private hangers again?"

The silver head cocked to the side curiously.

"Why do you want to know?"

Iruka looked away uncomfortably. He had never been intimate with anyone before and certainly never had to face the prospect of leaving the person only hours afterward. This was what he had heard referred to as a 'one night stand', and while he had laughed at some of his friends stories about how awkward it was to leave the next morning, he was damn sure none of them had been in a situation quite like his.

Kakashi was obviously experienced, he'd likely gone through this scenario a hundred times before so he knew how to handle this kind of tricky situation. The silver haired man would probably spout some mushy crap to boost his latest lay's ego and walk away leaving them as something akin to a big puddle of adoring fandom. Iruka was just going to have to muddle his way through and hope the other man didn't make it too difficult.

"I need to make plans to get to the hospital."

_Please get the hint, please…_

"No problem, I'll take you."

Kakashi either didn't get the hint or chose to ignore it and Iruka had a sinking feeling that it was the latter. This was going to be awkward.

"Kakashi, I-" he gasped and dug his fingers into the jacket's soft fabric as the plane gave a violent lurch. His stomach landed in his chest and he heart ended up lodged in his throat. Damn it! He hated landings!

Two strong hands were on his arms, squeezing reassuringly.

"It's ok, just a bit of turbulence. Let's get back to our seats, hey?"

Iruka nodded and clambered over to his seat, fastening the belt tightly. He took a quick glance out the window, briefly taking in the vast horizon of twinkling city lights below, before shuddering and looking away. Unlike take-off, he couldn't bear to look out the window during landings.

"Our agreement was only for the plane ride. As soon as we land, we go our separate ways, that was the plan and we both know it. I need to know where we'll be so I can get a taxi and get to Naruto." All this was said between deep breaths and nervous gulps.

He had to re-pressurise his ears more frequently, they must be getting closer to the ground.

"Plans change, Iruka," the deep voice was light but there was a definite hard undertone to it. "We also agreed not to discuss things during takeoff and landing, remember? That was your stipulation."

Angry chocolate eyes snapped up to glare into the single slate grey.

"Don't fuck with me, Kakashi," he snapped the fear of landing and humiliation from earlier adding fuel to his anger. "Once we land, you and I won't ever see each other again. I'm not a plaything you can enjoy during your stay before toddling back to your private plane and jet setting off into the wide blue yonder."

The older man looked caught between grinning and frowning.

"For starters," Kakashi said leaning forwards and resting elbows on knees. "I don't toddle anywhere. And there is no reason why you and I can't continue travelling together for a while longer. We're headed in the same direction after all."

Well that was a bizarre comment.

"You don't know which direction I'm heading. Hell, I don't even know which direction I'm heading! All I know is I'm going to Naruto, which isn't where you're going so why are we even discussing this? Why would you need to go to the hospital my brother's at?"

The grey eye blinked innocently as the pale head cocked on a slight angle.

"Perhaps I have business there too."

"Do you have business there?" Iruka demanded.

"Yes," Kakashi proclaimed with an amused tilt to his lips.

Iruka felt like head butting the window, but then he might accidentally look out it and see the ground approaching.

"Please stop playing games, Kakashi. We won't be travelling together anymore. You don't need me disrupting your trip and I don't need you dragging me around. We will be parting company at the airport and while it's been interesting, we won't be seeing each other again."

The grey eye narrowed and took on a decidedly dangerous glint. Iruka swallowed again, for more reasons than just pressurising his ears.

"You obviously haven't thought this through very well," the larger male said in a low tone, and Iruka's heart speeding up had nothing to do with the encroaching _terra firma_. "You packed in such a hurry and leapt on the first plane you could without considering the little things. Where were you planning to sleep tonight, Iruka? Visiting hours would have already closed and it's an awfully large city to just go wandering around blindly. I will take you where you need to go, and if you don't know where that is then I'll take you where I'm going."

Kakashi's whole tone and body language demanded immediate compliance and Iruka was very aware of why this man was so wealthy. If he were half as intelligent as the teacher suspected coupled with that powerful presence, then he would be a force to be reckoned with in the business world. Nevertheless, Iruka refused to be intimidated. He had faced some very nasty people in his life and one uppity business man with an inability to accept 'no' was not going to shake his resolve.

"I am not one of your snot-nosed subordinates quaking at orders and I sure as _hell_ don't need you to look after me. I've managed to survive quite convincingly before we met a couple of days ago and somehow I don't think my universe will fall apart without your presence tomorrow," Iruka answered back in his own low tone.

The wheels of the plane touched ground and the younger man flinched unconsciously, closing his eyes. This was not the time to be showing weakness but some things could not be helped, the anger was certainly helping subdue his fear of landing though. He looked out the window and relief flooded his system, they were at a normal airport! He would be able to find a taxi. Thank Kami!

Taking a deep breath, he locked gazes with the older man again, resolve unshaken and even boosted now he knew they had not landed at a private base where he would be at this eccentric man's mercy for yet more transportation. All their discussion was achieving was reinforcing his decision to make a clean break.

"You're wasting your time, Kakashi. You gave me a means of getting to my brother when I had no other and I will always be grateful to you for that. I fulfilled our agreement and the other… things that happened." The teacher sighed and ran a hand through his still loose hair. "Well, I know it wasn't much for you but I appreciate it. The plan hasn't changed though. Regardless of what you want, I will be leaving you here."

Rather than the expected reaction of Kakashi getting angry, the older man just raised an eyebrow and leaned back in his seat with a sigh.

"You do like to do things the difficult way, don't you? Alright, have it your way. Take a taxi."

Iruka gave him an unsure look. What happened to the dangerous 'do what I tell you immediately or I'll ensure you live to regret it' tyrant from a few seconds ago? The silver haired stranger really did switch personas far too fast for the teacher to keep track of.

All the younger man could muster up was the pathetic comeback of, "I will."

To which Kakashi smirked and turned go look out the window again.

The plane taxied to a stop and the cockpit door opened, Ino stepping out to prepare for the passengers to disembark. There was nothing to gather up, no queue's of people filling up the aisle, no jostling, or leaping into that gap in the line so you didn't have to wait for the very end. They just stood and walked off the plane once the door was open and stairs in place.

"Thank you for flying with us today, Iruka-san," chirped Ino happily. "It was a pleasure meeting you."

Iruka bowed politely and smiled at the lovely woman.

"Thank you, Ino-san. It really was great meeting you and please thank your husband for me. The food really was incredible. It's the best I've ever eaten."

The blond woman swelled with pride at the mention of her husband's cooking and gave a mega watt smile.

"Oh you are so nice!" she beamed, before fussing over almost anxiously and causing Iruka to raise an eyebrow in surprise. "Now you take care in this city. Don't pay anyone in advance, don't trust anybody, and whatever you do don't wander down any alleyways. Even if you hear someone calling for help! My friend sent me an email saying that's how they lure nice people like you down there and then they mug them."

Iruka smiled at her concern and promised to be careful as his bags were pulled out of the storage compartment in the belly of the plane. Honestly, did no one think he could look after himself?

Ino explained to him how to get to the airport taxi rink and he bid her a final farewell. Picking up his backpack and duffel bag, he walked over to where Kakashi was standing off to the side and waiting for him.

"Thanks for the lift." Iruka's smile held a little ironic twist as he held out his hand to shake. "I can honestly say it was the most interesting ride I've ever been on."

Kakashi wrapped his pale hand around the smaller one. Iruka tensed automatically, almost expecting to be tugged forward like the last time he'd tried to shake the eccentric man's hand. Instead, they shook civilly and released without incident.

"See you later," Kakashi replied casually, flashing the attractive eye curved smile.

_No, you won't_, the younger man thought determinedly.

Iruka headed toward the terminal to find a taxi and finally, _finally_ get to his little brother.

_I'm almost there__, Naruto. Just a little longer._

**……**

Ino stood next to Kakashi as they watching the dark haired schoolteacher walk away.

"You are such an asshole," she hissed at him. "He's actually nice. Why the hell are you screwing with him? The boss'll be furious!"

Kakashi just shrugged and kept watching in silence. Iruka's hair was still loose and dancing gently in the wind, he longed to run his fingers through it again. Bringing his wrist to his nose, the silver haired man sniffed the hair tie looped around his pale skin. It smelt so damn good.

"Mah, Tsunade won't kill me. I'm too valuable."

The blond woman sighed and shook her long blond tresses. "I don't know why she lets you get away with so much shit."

Kakashi grinned lazily. "It's because I'm so damn pretty."

_And she knows who I really am,_ he added silently.

Ino took a swipe at the back of his head and was completely unsurprised when she hit nothing but air.

**……**

"Sasuke," Iruka whispered in relief and entered the hospital room, quietly closing the door behind him.

Rushing over to the raven-haired man sitting up in bed reading, he wrapped his arms around him in a big hug.

"I'm so glad you're alright. I've been so worried."

"It's good to see you, Iruka."

Amazingly, Iruka felt an arm wrap around his back and firmly return the hug. Leaning back, he smoothed Sasuke's hair from his face to look more closely at the dark bruising marring the pale skin. It was bad, but starting to yellow at the edges already and would soon fade away. Resting light fingers on the stoic man's bandaged arm, Iruka forced himself not to fuss. He had been given a hug and by the Uchiha's standards, it was as good as a tearful reunion with fanfare and dancing fawns.

"I really am fine," Sasuke said calmly. "How did you get in here? Visiting hours are over."

"I talked the woman at the front counter into giving me your room number so I could come straight here tomorrow. Then I went around the back and snuck in. It's not as easy as the movies make it seem, there are people _everywhere_. I had to stash my bags in the garden outside," whispered Iruka as his eyes strayed over to the other bed in the room.

This one was under the window, curtains opened to allow moonlight to bathe the occupier in a soft glow. An IV line was hooked up and there was a machine to monitor the heart rate, but it wasn't nearly as bad as some of the terrifying images Iruka had imagined. There was no bulky, beeping equipment with large pumps breathing for his little brother. Naruto could just be asleep.

"He hasn't woken up yet. The only time he even moved in the last few days was when I told him you were coming and his eyebrow twitched."

Iruka nodded and moved over to his unconscious brother. He ran his fingers through the sunshine hair and over scarred cheeks, taking strength from the warmth in the golden skin. Tears built in the corners of his eyes and made wet trails down his cheeks. Everything he had been holding at bay for the last few days, the desperation, worry, and almost crippling fear came to the surface and Iruka felt his whole body start to tremble.

He knew Sasuke was watching but also knew that his young friend would not judge him for his emotional state. Sasuke knew of their past and knew how deeply his and Naruto's bond was forged. Leaning over and placing kisses along his brother's forehead, Iruka couldn't have stopped the tears if he tried.

"Naruto," he spoke softly to his brother, sitting close and still stroking a hand through the soft pale hair. "I'm here, Kit. I'm here for you."

All Iruka's attention was focused on his brother, but Sasuke didn't miss the increase in heart rate shown on the monitor. The bond between these brothers had never ceased to amaze and intrigue him. Blood link be damned, it hadn't done him and Itachi any good. These two had a true connection and loved each other more completely than any other pair he had ever met.

Iruka choked on a sob and placed another kiss on his brother's whisker marked cheek, the reason for Naruto's nickname 'Kit'. Iruka had told his little brother after the nightmare of Orochimaru and Kabuto was over that the scars looked like whiskers and that Naruto looked like a kitten with them. It had only been intended to soften the horror they had gone through but for some reason neither of them could remember the nickname had stuck, as nicknames have a tendency of doing.

"I need you to come back to me, Kit. I don't know what I'd do without your sunshine in my life." He sniffed and smiled softly down at the sleeping man, tears dripping onto the bedding.

Naruto looked so young like this, so small. Like he was six years old again and could only find sleep in the safety of Iruka's arms. They had been through so much together; a stupid car accident couldn't tear them apart. Iruka knew he wouldn't let it! But what if Naruto didn't recover, the possibility was just too terrifying. Desperation clawed at his heart.

"Please," he sobbed, dropping his head to his brother's shoulder and letting the tears soak into the thin hospital shirt. "Please, Naruto, don't leave me. I need you more than you ever needed me. I don't want to be without you, I can't. I'm scared, Naruto. I'm so very scared."

"Ruru?"

Iruka's head shot up and Sasuke's mouth dropped open (he was forever grateful that the brothers were intent on each other and there were no other witnesses to that little indiscretion).

"Naruto?" Hope flared strong and stole Iruka's breath away as he watched one clear blue eye crack open and peer at him through crusted blonde lashes.

"Ruru, you're here," Naruto croaked through a dry throat.

Iruka sucked in some air and forced down the sob threatening to take over his body.

"Of course I am, silly Kit," he whispered as he stroked the blonde hair again and drank in the blue of his brother's eyes.

The eye closed again and Iruka was about to panic when Naruto weakly grasped hold of his t-shirt.

"Hugs," came the softly spoken demand and the chocolate haired man had never been more willing to give in.

Naruto hadn't demanded that since he was twelve years old and determined to get over the nightmares from their past. When he was a little boy, he would crawl into Iruka's bed and demand hugs, which basically meant "I want to be held all night because I'm lonely and frightened". Iruka had never turned him down and certainly wasn't going to start then.

Looking over at the other occupant of the room, Iruka gave Sasuke a huge watery smile. Sasuke gave him his usual serious expression, but there was a relieved tilt to the lips.

"Get some sleep," the young raven haired man said.

Iruka translation: if anyone comes near the two of you, I'll give them my Uchiha glare of _Doom_ and kill them with my pinkie before drowning all their loved ones in financial turmoil.

Iruka quickly crossed to the younger man and gave him another hug.

"Thank you so much for watching over him for me. I owe you everything."

The teacher didn't expect to be hugged back a second time, the first was a phenomenon, but was again surprised by the arm once more going around his back.

"I'm glad you're here. I've missed you," Sasuke whispered very quietly.

Iruka squeezed him closer for just a second then let go and went back to Naruto. Crawling into bed beside him carefully, the brunette eased his little brother into his arms and settled his cheek on the soft blonde hair with a content sigh. Naruto gave more evidence to the fact that he was out of his coma by wrapping an arm around Iruka's waist, causing the older man to hold him tighter. There they fell asleep as they had as children, locked in the terrifying orphanage with no one for comfort but each other.

**……**

Sasuke found he could not look away from the picture Iruka and Naruto presented. It was pure love bathed in moonlight. He wasn't usually so poetic about life, but the two brothers were an exception to every rule there was. Though he would never admit it to anyone, the fact that Iruka and Naruto's love also stretched to include him was more precious to him than all his financial empire.

The youngest Uchiha had always been alone, even when he was surrounded by people and had living blood relatives. Then the brothers had entered his life and changed everything. He had met Naruto through school and been struck by the blond boy's resemblance to a sun, full of energy and light, zooming around with boundless enthusiasm. Needless to say, he was annoyed and intrigued in equal proportions. The memory of the first time he had gone to Naruto's house for dinner and to finish working on a project they'd been lumped as partners for was still clear to this day. Instead of a mother or father, Iruka had appeared.

While Naruto was the sun, Iruka was love and warmth enclosed in a smiling man with gentle hands. That night Sasuke had been treated like a real kid, ordered to wash his hands, given simple filling food to eat, had his hair ruffled by those gentle hands, and made to help take out the rubbish and do the dishes. Sasuke had found his utopia and the brothers welcomed him with open arms.

At first, they hadn't known of his wealth and when they found out they didn't care a bit. Sasuke would protect them with all his strength and destroy anyone that dared try to interfere. Though they didn't know it, Sasuke had bought their rental property a few years back, kept the rent the same, and fixed every problem with the old house (and there were quite a few) while upgrading it to be much more comfortable under the guise of government 'acceptable living' conditions. He also filtered the rent back into Iruka's account slowly by small increments and heavily subsidised all their bills. He would prefer to just give them everything openly but knew they would never accept. Naruto and Iruka were proud of their independence and had worked extremely hard for it.

The brothers didn't notice anything was going on, were incredibly grateful for their good fortune and amazed at their ability to save on power and gas. Because of this, Iruka could afford to send Naruto to University as well as attend himself and gain his teaching degree. They also didn't know Sasuke had paid all their amenity fees and other hidden costs associated with higher education, 'convincing' the university to just forget to list those pesky items on the invoice they sent to Iruka. Sasuke had some of his best financial minds figure out ways to protect and support his two precious people without them ever finding out. In return, Iruka had continued to ruffle his hair and welcome him as one of their own, and Naruto had just been his loud, exuberant self. Sasuke's utopia remained intact and protected.

The hospital room door silently slid open and the Uchiha 'don't fuck with me' glare fell into place instantly, only to be discarded a moment later when a tall figure with gravity defying silver hair stepped over the threshold. The door slid closed with a quiet click and a backpack and duffle bag were lowered in the corner of the room. Kakashi walked over to stand next to Sasuke's bed and silently studied the sleeping pair.

"What took you so long?" asked Sasuke quietly.

* * *

**AN: Oh my… Well, you can't say I didn't warn you about the long chapters and randomness of events. Ala **_**Brain Vomit**_**! **

**Hahaha, I had to do the mile high naughtiness for ReixGaara. You asked and you received Meggin's!**

**So! Reviews for me, yes?**

**Oh, and in reply to the most pressing issue with the last chapter. I rechecked the internet and from Tokyo to New York, the flight is on average 13 hours and 45 minutes (give or take a bit for wind conditions, blah blah woof woof).**

**Edited May 2010 because it's worth it ~_^**


	3. Manipulative Bastard

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I also get hopelessly lost in cities.**

**AN: I have discovered the problem with writing 'brain vomit' is it's very hard to mold all these random ideas together and still have them make sense... So I gave up! ENJOY ^_^**

**FYI, if Iruka's talking to Kakashi, Naruto, Sasuke, or himself it's in Japanese. Obviously if he's talking to an American it's in English. I'm not going to do different fonts for the languages because I'm too lazy and it detracts from the story. Savvy? Good!**

**Meiun and ReixGaara are the amazing and fantabulous betas for this story. I applaud their efforts (clap clap clap) **

* * *

**Stranger Situations**

**Chapter 3: Manipulative Bastard**

"Ru, wake up."

Iruka groaned. He didn't want to wake up. He was warm, comfortable, and his little brother was safely nestled in his arms. The drowsy man was very happy right where he was and in no hurry to leave.

"Ruka." Something poked him in the chest. "Oh Ruuuka. Wakey wakey."

Giving a small sigh of defeat, Iruka cracked one soft brown eye open. A mass of sunny blond hair, two big blue eyes, and a sleepy smile greeted him. Soft morning light flittered in through the window making the golden hair shine and the blessed certainty that Naruto was conscious again warmed the older man's heart. Yep, the world was perfect.

With a soft smile, Iruka pulled his brother a little closer and kissed the silky pale locks.

"Morning Kit," he mumbled sleepily.

Naruto smiled up at him again, "Morning. I gotta pee."

A snort of amusement escaped the older man and he raised a dark eyebrow. His little brother was just as refined as always, good to know a severe knock to the head hadn't changed anything.

"Oh really?" The younger brother nodded and Iruka gave a small, contemplative hum. "I guess I shouldn't do this then."

He dropped his nose to Naruto's neck and began to nuzzle into the sun-kissed skin. As expected, Naruto let out a tiny squeal before dissolving into giggles. Iruka couldn't help but laugh as warm hands rose to push against his face and the body next to his bowed backwards, trying to get away. No matter how old his brother got, Iruka could still make him giggle like a child by attacking that spot on his neck. It drove the blond absolutely mad but Iruka didn't care. That laughter was like a cool breeze, blowing away the last of his lingering pain from when he'd heard Naruto was in a car accident and unconscious. With that giggle, Iruka could truly breathe again.

"Stop it, stop it! I'll pee on you!" the squirming blond threatened, still pushing the dark haired assailant away.

Iruka laughed some more and eased back from his brother.

"Well I certainly don't want that." Pulling the covers off he slid out of bed. "Do you need some help?"

He watched as the recently awakened young man shuffled over until his feet touched the ground and he was sitting upright. The normally sun kissed skin was pale beneath the bandage wrapped around his brow and blue eyes lifted to him. His brother looked more than a little confused and quite befuddled.

"I think I'm a bit light headed."

Iruka translation: Is the floor supposed to be at a 25-degree angle and moving like that?

"Ok," he wrapped his arm around Naruto's back and put the younger male's arm over his shoulders, "let's just take this slow."

They made it into the en-suite bathroom without incident, Naruto leaning heavily on his brother and Iruka carefully steering the IV stand. After he was sure the blond would be alright, Iruka stepped outside to give him privacy. Sasuke had watched them quietly, sitting up in his bed with the book from last night still open.

"Morning Sasuke," Iruka smiled at him and wandered over to sit on the bed next to the stoic young man. "Did you get any sleep?"

He'd learned long ago that just because the raven-haired male had developed a rather impressive ice prince façade, it didn't mean he was opposed to friendly company.

"Some," was the simple answer.

Iruka smiled and tucked his feet up comfortably before stretching his arms and indulging in a long yawn. Something told him his younger brother would be awhile so he might as well get comfortable. After getting Naruto back to bed, he would have to run outside and claim his bags back from the garden. Hopefully they were still there. Even if they weren't it was worth it to have had his brother wake up and nestled safely in his arms all night.

"I can't believe how much Naruto's grown over the last few months. Seems American food agrees with him. He's taller than me now and filling out well!" Iruka said happily, knowing Sasuke actually enjoyed a good chat so long as he didn't have to talk much. "You've filled out a lot too. Have you both been going to the gym here? Neither of you ever had an inch of fat but you both seem to have put on some more muscle."

"Yes," Sasuke answered, actually quite happy Iruka had noticed.

"It shows," the tanned man smiled warmly. "You look like you've grown as well. I can't believe you both out grew me so quickly, not that it's really a surprise. I never did get very tall. Boys are supposed to keep growing until their about 21 but I stopped in my mid teens."

"You suffered from malnutrition through your most important development stages. All your friends are like that too," Sasuke pointed out.

Iruka shrugged and scratched the back of his head. "Can't argue with that. We're all a bunch of short-arses. At least Naruto only suffered it for a year and it certainly hasn't affected his growth."

The teacher decided to move them away from that topic; his past just seemed to keep popping up lately. He was about to ask what the book was about when the furious glare the Uchiha suddenly directed at him cut off all thought of polite conversation. Sasuke had never looked at him like that before. But, the younger man wasn't staring at him so much as his neck. What was going on?

"Sasuke, are you alright?" Iruka asked concern evident in his voice.

Perhaps the raven-haired man was having a dizzy spell or didn't feel well. Iruka knew Sasuke hid any form of weakness behind an angry shield. When the young Uchiha had first come into their lives, he and Naruto had been playing with a basketball in the front yard that had gone onto the roof. Sasuke had climbed up after it and fallen, wrenching and bruising his arm painfully. His reaction had been to glare daggers at everyone and hide the pain behind an angry barrier. Iruka had of course ignored this completely, dragged him into the house, patched him up, and given him a hug to make it better. The poor confused teenager had looked like he hadn't been sure whether to attack him or beg for another hug.

Iruka reached out and placed a hand on the paler man's shoulder.

"Do you feel sick? Does it hurt?" He really didn't want to fuss but he was worried!

"Who gave you that mark on your neck?" Sasuke asked in a low, carefully controlled voice.

Iruka blinked in confusion. "Huh? What mark?"

The young man raised a hand and touched the juncture between the tanned neck and shoulder. Iruka realised with a start that it was the area Kakashi had been so fond of and jerked back, slapping a hand over the skin. Oh hell, had the damn businessman given him a _hickey_? Blushing bright red, Iruka raised embarrassed eyes to meet coal black orbs. How mortifying the situation was.

"It was a… strange trip to get here," the blushing man answered quietly and apologetically.

How horrible that Sasuke thought Iruka took so long to arrive because he stopped off for a bit of _nookie _on the way. Oh shit, had Naruto noticed? No, if his younger brother had seen the whole hospital would have known. He would have to hide it carefully until he could get a collared shirt on. The more important thing at that moment though was to reassure his angry friend. Reaching forward, Iruka rested his hand on one of the pale ones fisted on top of the book resting in Sasuke's lap.

"Sasuke, I swear I came here as fast as I could. You know nothing would keep me from you and Naruto. This isn't wh-"

"It's alright." The glare softened slightly but Iruka could tell the younger man was still angry as hell. "I know it's not your fault. I'm not angry at you."

Well that was a strange thing to say. How could the raven haired man possibly know it wasn't Iruka's fault? Just as he was about to say something, Naruto called out for him from the bathroom and there was a loud crash.

"Oh crap!" Iruka went to leap off the bed and go to his younger brother's aid when a strong hand wrapped around his upper arm, stopping him.

He turned back in confusion as a pale hand pulled the fabric of his t-shirt to cover the mark. Instantly, the chocolate haired man understood.

"Thanks," he mumbled, feeling utterly humiliated, and rushed off to help his little brother.

**…**

Sasuke watched Iruka hurry to the bathroom and clenched his hands into fists. Anger and jealousy clawed in his chest and onyx eyes flashed red for an instant before the young man regained control. He knew full well that it wasn't the gentle and inexperienced teacher's fault.

It would take someone very manipulative and conniving to lead Iruka into that kind of action when he was in such a panic over his brother's injury. Someone incredibly selfish who didn't mind taking advantage of others when they weren't thinking straight. Someone that was supposed to have escorted Iruka safely to America and _knew _both the brothers belonged to Sasuke and were not to be fucked with.

_Hatake, this time you've gone too far._

**…**

Iruka burst through the bathroom door to find Naruto slumped against the sink and his IV stand lying on the tiled floor.

"Are you alright?" he asked, quickly righting the metal stand and wrapping his arms around his brother.

The blond leaned back into him and Iruka took the weight. His little brother wasn't so little anymore, the skinny teenager was rapidly filling out into a more mature build.

"Yeah," Naruto sighed. "Everything just pitched to the left suddenly."

"You took quite a knock to the head, it's no wonder you're still dizzy. We should get you back to bed. Did you need to do anything else in here?" Iruka asked, smoothing some of the pale hair from those stunning blue eyes.

"Just wash up. It'll only take a sec."

After his brother had washed his face and hands, they carefully moved back to the main room. Naruto looked up to see Sasuke watching them and threw a weak grin in his friend's direction.

"Hey asshole, didn't see you there before. You Ok? That pretty face still in one piece?" the blond asked cheekily but eyed his friend closely looking for injuries.

"Hn, of course. Only a idiot like you would be so weak as to go down over such a minor tap," was Sasuke's emotionless reply, but it was accompanied by a smirk.

"Oh, boys, stop it. You're killing me with the love here!" Iruka laughed as he settled Naruto back on his bed and pulled the covers up. "Looks like I was wrong all these years."

"Wrong about what?" Naruto asked weakly, leaning back into the pillows and closing his eyes against the waves of dizziness.

The older brother sat on the bed and held the younger's hand, acting as an anchor during the vertigo.

"That a good smack to the head might teach you boys some manners," Iruka chucked gently and looked on the two young men with affection.

Naruto cracked up laughing and the corners of Sasuke's lips quirked upwards, the Uchiha equivalent of at least a chuckle. Iruka loved making them laugh and it felt right to be with them again. He'd been awfully lonely for the last few months without them bickering and hanging around the house after classes, although both of them had been good and called regularly. Iruka had been very surprised when he'd received a phone call from Sasuke after they'd been gone for a week. It had been a strange conversation until he'd figured out the stoic young man wanted the same thing over the phone as he'd get face to face. Iruka would chat happily about the goings-on around the orphanage and general life while the young man would listen and make comments occasionally.

At first the older man had thought Sasuke had called the once to be polite, but every week without fail he would receive a call and chat to his raven-haired friend. Every now and then, it was obvious that Sasuke would have a problem and they would talk it out, discussing options, and if it was something for schoolwork that Iruka didn't really understand he was at least there for the young heir to bounce ideas off.

Naruto called every few days and Iruka would be lucky to get a word in. The energetic brat would bombard him with information on their university, the people he was meeting, classes, food, and anything else he'd encountered. It was wonderful, but just couldn't compare to the flesh and blood people sitting in the room with him (or screaming down the house as they were prone to do rather frequently).

"I have to go get my bags from outside but I'll be back soon, ok?" Iruka let go of Naruto's hand to leave but the blond's skin instantly turned a shade whiter without the anchor to steady him.

"There's no need to go anywhere," Sasuke said as Iruka started to look conflicted, not wanting to leave his brother but needing to get his bags, "they're in the corner over there."

A pale hand pointed to the backpack and duffle bag sitting near the door. Dark brows rose surprised in the tanned forehead and Iruka took hold of his brother's hand again.

"That's them! Did you go out and get them, Sasuke?"

"No, an associate of mine bought them in while you slept last night."

It was spoken casually but had both brothers looking at the raven haired man in surprise. Sasuke enjoyed the moment. He loved having the brothers stare at him like that, it made him feel as though the world revolved around his very being.

"How on earth did they find them? I hid them carefully. They weren't put to any trouble were they?" Iruka asked.

Sasuke shook his head and stood from his bed. "No, he's very resourceful. He had no trouble at all."

Taking the visitors chair that sat between the two beds, Sasuke dragged it closer to the brothers and dropped into it. It was nice being closer to them, not that they needed to know that.

Iruka let out a relieved sigh and smiled warmly. "Well that's a relief. I can't believe I didn't notice them before. Thank you, Sasuke. Now I don't have to go anywhere."

He squeezed the hand in his reassuringly but Naruto looked up at him with amusement dancing in his azure eyes.

"I'm fine now I'm lying down again. Everything's settled. I reckon you should go for a shower though. No offence, bro, but you totally stink!"

Iruka scowled. "Eh? You little brat! You're lucky I don't give you another whack to the head and see if that one beats some manners into you," he threatened angrily, shaking a clenched fist at the cheeky blond.

Naruto cracked a huge grin and Sasuke had to smirk. They'd both missed Iruka's quick temper; the man was so much fun to rile up.

"I hate to tell you, Iruka, but for once the moron's right. You need a shower," Sasuke said deciding to join in on the teasing.

Iruka stared open mouthed at the raven-haired man before throwing his arms up in defeat and frustration.

"Damn kids ganging up on me," he muttered darkly, climbing off the bed and walking across the room. "Fly all the way over here to check in on them and the first thing they do is tell me I _stink_." Grabbing his bags, he walked to the bathroom, pausing in the doorway to address the two antagonists. "There'd better be something to eat out here when I come back, you ungrateful brats."

He closed the door and pressed an ear against it, listening with a big smile on his face as the two younger men started laughing. He knew they'd been riling him up deliberately and just couldn't resist giving them what they wanted when his reward was that happy sound. Besides, he really did need a shower. They hadn't been half-wrong, he didn't smell the best. It also gave him an opportunity to change clothes and hide the mark on his neck.

Walking over to the mirror, Iruka pulled the collar of his t-shirt to the side and gasped. The mark wasn't overly large but it was very dark in colour, contrasting vividly with his skin.

_That bastard._ _He marked me deliberately._

slender fingers over the mark and images of a pale mouth and incredible mismatched eyes swam in his mind. The memory of what those lips felt like on his skin, the way they sucked and teased, and the caress of that talented tongue had him closing his eyes as a quiver ran through his body. Warmth grew in his lower abdomen and Iruka felt himself start to harden slightly. Oh Kami, when he thought of those skilful hands running over him, the large hard body pressed against his, the warm breath over his skin as that dark voice whispered to him. That hot mouth around his…

_Enough!_

Iruka leaned his forehead against the cool mirror and took a deep breath.

_That's enough. It was a __onetime experience and it was good. Don't torture yourself over it. Don't forget… but don't dwell on it either, _he counselled himself mentally and distracted himself by digging his toiletries out of the duffle bag.

The water was hot, the spray strong, and he took his sweet time getting clean, scrubbing from scalp to toenails. It felt wonderful to wash every inch and he felt revitalised when finished. With a decent night's sleep and a good shower, Iruka could face any situation. Fresh underwear, jeans, and a black short sleeved polo shirt later, Iruka walked out of the bathroom still towelling his hair dry and was met with the glorious sight of food. It was turning out to be a decent morning after all… the need to hide a rather conspicuous mark on his neck aside.

The teacher flopped down on the foot of his brother's bed, the blond sitting up and happily digging into his breakfast. Sasuke was nowhere to be seen.

"That one's yours," Naruto mumbled around a mouth full of food and pointing to a tray sitting on the seat Sasuke had previously been occupying.

"Fabulous," Iruka sighed and dropped the towel over the bed frame to be hung up later. "Has Sasuke eaten already?"

The younger brother swallowed and shook his head. "Nope, that's his breakfast but he said for you to have it. He wasn't hungry and went for a walk."

"Fair enough. Injuries sometimes make you lose your appetite. I'll go to the canteen and get him something later when he's feeling up to it," Iruka said as he picked up the cup of tea and sighed in pleasure at discovering it was still hot.

"The food's not that great," Naruto stuffed another chunk of toast in his mouth before continuing to speak around it, "but I'm starving."

The older man shrugged and took a sip of his tea. "It's hospital food so don't expect miracles. At least the milk's real. I saw what looked to be a market square on my way here last night so I might take a wander down there and see if I can't get us all something fresh to have as snacks."

"That would be good," the blond agreed. "Apparently they only feed you _three _times a day in here! _Three_!"

Iruka laughed at his younger brother's shocked expression and spread a bit of toast with butter and honey.

"Not everyone packs away as much food as you do, Kit. Sick people generally don't tend to eat much. They won't be familiar with someone like you who eats enough for ten famished men and heals quickly."

Naruto grinned widely, showing off bits of chewed toast stuck between his teeth. Iruka just shook his head with a tolerant smile and tucked into his own food.

"The doctor came while you were showering and just about fell over when he saw I was awake. He checked my head and reflexes and reckons I look alright but they're getting a specialist to come later. Doc said a couple'a days and I can go. They just wanna to make sure there's no delayed stuff."

"That's good. Looks like you'll be able to get back to your classes pretty quickly then."

Naruto shook his head and began picking at his teeth with a fingernail. "You're such a teacher, Iruka-_sensei_. Always thinking about school."

Iruka just shrugged and finished his food. Naruto gave a mighty yawn and stretched.

"You look about ready for another snooze," the older sibling commented, clearing the dishes from the bed and making room for the blond to lie down. "You get some sleep and I'll go have a scout around outside. I'll check out the market and see if there's somewhere nearby I can book a room at."

Naruto blinked up at him with sleepy blue eyes. "Why can't you just sleep here like last night? It'll be cheaper and I don't mind sharing."

Iruka reached out and ruffled the blond locks affectionately. "The staff won't allow it. I'm amazed no one complained about last night or me having a shower. It must have been obvious that you have a guest."

"Hmm, they were about to," Naruto mumbled sleepily, "but, Sasuke gave them the 'I'm about'ta break my foot off in your arse' glare so they shut up and didn't push the issue."

The brunette nodded thoughtfully. "I don't think I've seen that glare before."

"It's a new one," Naruto smiled. "Americanised!"

"I see. Well, it's good he's gained something from this cultural experience I suppose." Iruka bent down and kissed the bandaged forehead. "I'll be back around lunch time."

"M'kay," Naruto mumbled, already starting to drift off to sleep.

Carrying the damp towel to the bathroom, Iruka hung it up before hunting for his hairbrush. A few minutes later, his hair was pulled back into a neat ponytail and he'd slipped on his well-travelled sneakers. The orphanage sensei frowned at the frayed ends of the legs of his jeans. They were too long and rubbed under the heels of his shoes, but they were loose and comfortable so he wasn't going to complain. Besides, there was no one he needed to impress. Grabbing his backpack and emptying out everything into his duffle bag except a water bottle and his wallet, Iruka was ready to go.

**Meanwhile…**

"You know they're off limits, how dare you fuck with what's _mine_," Sasuke growled angrily.

The youngest Uchiha stood barefoot in the garden near the front car park, not caring he was still dressed in the ugly blue hospital issue shirt and drawstring pants. He was glaring at the silver haired man leaning lazily against the old oak tree near an ornamental pond. Kakashi's posture was relaxed – hands in pockets and one leg bent at the knee with the foot resting on the tree trunk – but his single grey eye was narrowed in annoyance.

"He's not your property," Kakashi answered back, a definite hard undertone to his deep voice. "And you'll do well to remember that _I_ am not one of your snot-nosed subordinates quaking at orders."

That line from Iruka had really stuck a cord with the older man and the image of those determined brown eyes flashed through his mind.

Pale hands clenched into fists and Sasuke glared at him furiously, eyes bleeding to red. "I asked you to escort him here safely, to keep an eye on him, but you decided to play your little mind games with him instead. He was in a panic over his brother and you fucking took advantage of him when he was most vulnerable, you piece of shit!" Sasuke seethed, taking a few steps closer to the older man.

Kakashi didn't react to the advancement of the angry man. However, when he spoke his deep voice was low and the previously hard edge was honed to a fine blade.

"Calm down, Sasuke. I didn't play any games with him. You've gone jumping to conclusions without knowing anything of what happened."

"I know what happened. I saw the mark you left on his neck," Sasuke snapped, taking another step closer and the clenched fists trembling slightly with anger. "You go near him again and-"

Kakashi pushed off the tree and ripped the silk wrap from his eye, fixing his narrowed mismatched orbs on the younger man. Sasuke instantly froze.

"Don't forget who you're speaking to, insolent whelp," Kakashi said dangerously. "Your threats mean nothing to me and if you weren't injured already I'd happily remind you why."

Every muscle in both bodies tensed for action as a dark aura swirled around them. Sasuke had to concede the ground. He was in no condition for a confrontation and realistic enough to know there would be slim chance of him winning even if he were. The dark haired man took a couple of steps back and watched as that tall body once more leaned against the large oak. There was nothing relaxed or lazy about that posture though, Sasuke knew Kakashi would be ready at the slightest hint of aggression.

"Why are you bothering with him? Iruka's plain, there's nothing of interest there for you," he grumbled, hoping it was just a passing fancy from the trip over. "You're in California. It's considered to be the home to some of the most beautiful people in the world. You know you can have your pick of anyone."

Kakashi's thin lips lifted in a smirk as he crossed his arms over his broad chest.

"Trying to throw me off the scent, Sasuke?" he asked mockingly. "Don't insult your friend by suggesting he's plain. I happen to find him intriguing and I _will_ be getting to know him better. Besides, he plays an important role in your life so I really should have taken notice of him sooner. And you would do well to remember to take better notice of your surroundings."

The last comment was made as Kakashi elegantly pushed off the tree and slipped behind it. Sasuke looked around and saw the man under discussion walking toward him from the hospital entrance.

_Damn it! Of all the times…_

"Hey Sasuke!" Iruka called, waving in greeting and a happy smile on his face.

The younger man quickly reigned in his emotions, forcing his eyes to return to their normal obsidian shade. Taking a deep breath, he forced all tension from his face and tried to relax his posture. Most people wouldn't notice the difference but Iruka and Naruto knew him too well and could always see when he was angry.

Iruka came to stand in front of him and studied his face, "You don't look so good. Are you feeling sick still? Naruto said you'd gone for a walk and I was kinda worried."

Sasuke didn't feel quite ready to speak yet without his voice sounding strained so he opted to raise an eyebrow instead. Thankfully, Iruka was fluent in Uchiha body language.

"I know, I know," the teacher smiled, "I'm fussing. I'll stop. I ate the breakfast you left, thanks for that. And for making sure I got some sleep last night. Heard you had a word with the doctor about my presence. Well, more you glared and he turned tail and ran."

The tanned man laughed warmly and despite himself, Sasuke felt the sides of his mouth tilt upward.

"Anyway, you don't have to worry about it. Today I'll find a place nearby to stay; there'll be a backpacker hostel somewhere I can crash at. They always have beds available."

Sasuke frowned. "Get yourself a decent room at a hotel, I'll pay for it. There's no need for you to stay somewhere like that."

"Nonsense," Iruka dismissed happily with a wave of his hand. "nothing wrong with those places and I can afford to pay for accommodation. It'll be fine. I saw what looked like a market square about a block from here so I'm going to go check it out and have a scout around the area, see what's about. I'll pick up some fruit and snacks for your room and be back by lunchtime. Hopefully you'll feel like food by then."

In a movement very out of character for the sombre young man (but quite understandable given who was standing behind the tree), Sasuke stepped forward and put a hand on Iruka's shoulder. Chocolate eyes looked up at him in surprise.

"This is a strange country and I don't think you should go wandering around on your own. You don't know what kind of people might be about and an international tourist on his own is easy pickings. Why not stay here with us? When we're discharged, Naruto and I will show you around."

Sasuke waited for Iruka's agreement as the teacher stared at him fixedly for a few moments.

"_Wow_," was the unexpected response. "You really have gotten taller! Look at you, you're so much taller. The girls must be going nuts!"

The frown on Sasuke's face deepened. "Iruka, focus please."

The shorter man just grinned and gave Sasuke a quick hug.

"I'll be fine. What is it with people and thinking I can't look after myself these days? I've watched over you boys for years, suddenly you grow a few inches and need to take care of me?" Iruka huffed good-naturedly. "It's so weird hugging you now that you've grown so much. We'll have to do it more often so I can get used to it." Reaching up he ruffled the raven locks before walking off across the grass towards the lines of parked cars. "I'll see you back in your room in a short while. Keep an eye on Naruto for me."

Sasuke watched as his long time friend wandered across the car park. Without a sound, a taller body came to stand next to him and instantly all the tension was back. Kakashi stood by his side for a moment before moving forward in the direction Iruka had gone.

"Where are you going?" Sasuke asked in a low, anger edged tone.

"The market. Go watch over your other friend and rest," the silver haired man replied before turning to look at Sasuke over his shoulder. The black wrap was back covering his left eye, but the right was as hard as granite. "Oh, and Sasuke… don't ever question my movements again. Understood?"

The question hung in the air for a few moments as younger man's hands clenched into fists and he scowled at the older male before finally dropping his gaze.

"Yes sensei," he replied quietly.

Kakashi nodded and walked off. Sasuke watched him take the path Iruka had travelled only moments ago. It was like watching a wolf set out after an unprotected fawn. It was all his fault. When Kakashi had heard of the accident and called to say he was coming over, while high on morphine Sasuke had asked him to watch over Iruka during the trip. He never thought that in a million years the powerful man would develop an interest in the gentle teacher.

Within Uchiha Shipping Inc. any employees that met the mysterious silver haired figure thought he was just a 'go to' man. Someone sent off to meet with other organisations and collect information occasionally, not seen the rest of the time. He just popped up every now and then, did a day's work, and charmed any information out of the employees he wanted before disappearing for another few months, supposedly on assignment. This was how Kakashi liked it. It meant the staff spoke openly to him and treated him as one of their own, allowing him access to their gossip and opinions. However, Kakashi was actually the ultimate boss.

The silver haired man owned Sharingan Ventures which meant he owned Uchiha Shipping Inc., Sasuke's inheritance. It was currently being managed by one of Kakashi's subordinates, Tsunade, until Sasuke turned 21 and took over the enterprise. Uchiha Shipping Inc. had been started by Sasuke's father, along with Uchiha Transitions Inc. Uchiha Transitions was a land based transportation company dealing in trucks and trains and managed by Itachi, Sasuke's older brother. As Sasuke had Tsunade working with him, Itachi was guided and assisted by Jiraiya, Tsunade's twin brother. Sasuke's father had sold both struggling companies to Kakashi just before he passed away, stipulating in the contract that his sons were still to manage the organisations but Kakashi would hold controlling shares and have the ultimate say in the future of the organisations. With the backing of Sharingan Ventures, the Uchiha's had become one of the largest transportation forces on the planet and very wealthy.

Kakashi bought struggling businesses that interested him, made them extremely prominent, and enjoyed the generated income while never having to step into the lime light or have anyone except the company heads know of his existence. He owned companies specialising in anything one could think of, from doggy day-spa's to the manufacture of security systems used by the most secret of organisations. He was exceedingly wealthy yet still enjoyed freedom and anonymity. It really was ingenious how Kakashi had set the system up.

Sasuke had been only 12 years old when his father's companies had been sold to the reclusive genius. At 14 years of age, Kakashi decided to take him on as an apprentice and teach him the ways of the business world, both legal and not. During his years by the silver haired man's side, Sasuke learned just how truly brilliant the business tycoon really was. Kakashi was a fair and generous boss to even the most minor of employees.

His health plans were exceptional and he fired any manager he considered to be unfair or abusive of their position and beyond reform. On the flip side, the man could also be completely ruthless and horribly brutal to those that crossed him. Kakashi had never spoken of any family and Sasuke had no idea who had trained the older man but Kakashi could fight like a demon and disappear like a shadow in the midday sun. In fact, Sasuke knew practically nothing about his sensei's past. What the young Uchiha did know was his sensei was a man to be respected and equally feared when angered.

Around the same time as he'd started his 'education' with Kakashi, he had met the brothers. They were his solace in a time where he felt completely alone and unloved. They'd given him unquestioning friendship and acceptance. Iruka was the embodiment of warmth and love, gentle and comforting to a tormented teenager. Naruto was his perfect counterpart and the only one that he could really let go with. They were the only people Sasuke really loved and he didn't want them to change. It was because of his desire that things remain the same that Sasuke was so concerned about Iruka become involved with Kakashi. No one that entered Hatake Kakashi's radar walked away unaffected.

What the hell did Kakashi see in Iruka anyway? It had been true what Sasuke had said, the business tycoon could have anyone! He'd thawed the most frigid of women with a smile and had the rich and famous beg to be allowed in his bed when they didn't even know who he was. Of all the people Iruka had to attract, why did it have to be the only one Sasuke couldn't protect him against?

**…**

The market place was teeming with colours, noise, smells, people, and stalls. In Iruka's opinion, it was absolutely fantastic. He loved markets, with all the knickknacks for sale, buskers and performers, interesting characters walking around, and energised atmosphere. The space encompassed by the stalls was huge, much bigger than he originally thought, and scattered throughout were grassed areas with trees and performance stages. He knew he could get thoroughly lost in amongst all the activity very easily but the temptation to explore was too great.

One of Iruka's quirks was he could get dropped in the middle of a forest and easily find his way out, if he was dropped in the middle of a city he would be hopelessly lost in a matter of seconds. Street signs and such didn't matter, anything like cities or large market places and he was guaranteed to get lost… but that was sometimes fun in itself. This time he had the hospital to get back to so he would need to keep careful track of where he was going.

Wandering up and down stall alleys, the chocolate haired man began looking for a fruit and vegetable section while browsing all the interesting pieces for sale. There was everything from amazing metalwork sculptures to little fridge magnets made from large seedpods with glued on googly eyes. Some music and applause caught his attention and he wandered off to the nearest performance area where a magic act was entertaining a small crowd. It wasn't very good and the performer talked too much so Iruka was soon heading off back into the stalls.

He wandered for about half an hour before finally finding the fruit and vegetable vendors. He purchased some mangos, nectarines, peaches, and strawberries. This covered the favourite foods of all three. Iruka adored mangos, Naruto loved peaches almost as much as ramen, and Sasuke had a soft spot for nectarines, especially white flesh ones. The strawberries were just a treat for them all. Placing his purchases in his backpack, Iruka spied an orange sign advertising bubble tea near a drinks caravan.

_Blessed nectar of the Gods!_The teacher rejoiced and made a beeline for it.

One Jasmine with milk and sago bubble tea later, he was standing in another grassed performance area as two men sang and played guitars. They were really very good and the crowd was right into the music.

Iruka stood off to the side and happily sipped his drink, enjoying the show. A lanky, blond man dressed in rainbow-striped pants, a red corduroy vest, and a large purple top hat circled with strands of red beads moved through the crowd accepting coins for the performance. He didn't seem to be a clown, just flamboyant. Iruka gave him some change and the man patted his cheek, declaring that he was "Simply adorable!" and took a strand of beads from his hat, draping them around the teacher's neck before blowing a kiss and prancing off. Iruka was left blushing and inspecting his newly acquired string of red plastic beads.

The orphanage sensei was completely oblivious to the appreciative attention he was being paid by a group of young men nearby. He didn't see when two of the men, handsome and well muscled, rose to approach and speak with him. He also didn't notice when they froze and quickly back peddled to their group as a tall, silver haired figure stepped up behind the short brunette and glared at them with dark challenge. Meanwhile, Iruka was humming absently as he wrapped the decorative red strand around his wrist to make a beaded cuff and enjoyed his bubble tea.

A couple of songs later, the dark haired teacher decided it was time to get going and find a place to stay for the next few days until the boys were out of hospital.

_I really need to stop calling them boys. They're young men now._

Thoughts of how quickly Naruto and Sasuke had grown floated around in his head as he tried to find his way back to where he'd entered the markets. Over an hour later, after wandering down more strips than he could count and not seeing anything even vaguely familiar, Iruka flopped down tiredly under a shady tree in yet another performance area. He stared at the grass as some teenagers danced to a fast beat for the entertainment of the crowd and loose change. He'd known this would happen, it always happened and while usually he didn't mind, today he had to get back to Naruto. Iruka sighed and shrugged off his bag.

"Shit," he huffed to himself quietly, rubbing a hand over his face in frustration, "I'm lost."

"Then you should ask for directions," a smooth voice said next to him.

Iruka's head snapped up and dark eyes widened comically as he discovered Hatake Kakashi sitting right next to him on the grass.

"Holy hell! Where'd you come from?" he cried out in surprise.

He hadn't heard anyone approach, let alone sit down so close their knee was almost brushing his! Yet there Kakashi sat in all his gorgeous glory, clad in a pair of cream trousers, a wine red shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and that black scarf hiding the remarkable red eye.

Kakashi laughed in his rich voice as Iruka flushed beet red. The crowd previously watching the kids dance now turned eyes on them, firstly for the loud outburst, and now because of the deliciously sexy sound of that laughter.

"Nice to see you again too," the silver haired man chuckled.

"I'm so sorry." Iruka looked over at the group of people staring at them and buried his face in his hands. "Oh, this is embarrassing on two fronts."

"Mah, just ignore them. This is nice." A warm hand wrapped around his forearm, pulling his hand away from his face. "I didn't think you were into jewellery."

Kakashi was studying the red beads wrapped around his wrist with an amused smile. Iruka's blush deepened and he snatched his wrist back, covering the beads with his other hand and holding it to his chest defensively.

"I'm not, but a nice person gave them to me earlier so… Don't change the subject! What the hell are you doing here?" the aggravated teacher demanded, still thrown by the reappearance of the eccentric stranger.

Kakashi flashed his unique curvy eyed smile and relaxed back to lean on his elbows and stretch out his legs. "Aren't you happy to see me? You actually sound mad."

"You're damn right I'm mad," Iruka snapped, glaring at the still smiling bastard before dropping his voice to a low hiss. "You marked me. You gave me a goddamn hickey! Sasuke saw it this morning and pitched a fit! He thinks-"

"Are the two of you lovers?" the older man interrupted casually, already knowing the answer.

Iruka looked shocked. "Of course not! What does-"

"Then why does it matter that he saw? If it makes you feel any better, you marked me too."

"It matters because… Eh? What do you mean I marked you too?" Iruka asked, distracted from his angry rant.

Kakashi's lips curved into a stunningly sexy smile as he sat back up and began unbuttoning his shirt. Iruka's eyes went wide and there was a collective gasp from the crowd across the courtyard (and not because one of the dancing teens face-planted half way through a move due to catching sight of Kakashi's movements). The silver haired man flicked open five of his shirt buttons before shrugging the fabric off one shoulder and turning to reveal four long red scratches on his back. They weren't deep but stood out vividly red against his ivory skin.

A squeal from a female by-passer sounded as that skin was uncovered and Iruka couldn't help but gasp and look at his hand. He must have scratched him the night before on the plane when he'd orgasmed the second time. Honey toned skin flushed darkly as he reached forward and laid his fingers over the scratch marks. They were the right distance apart and Iruka felt terrible.

"I, ah… umm… Did it hurt?" he asked in a small voice.

The deep red fabric recovered the skin and elegant hands commenced buttoning back up.

"It was good." Kakashi gave Iruka a soft smile, the exact same one he'd seen last night when the silver haired man had cleaned him with a towel.

The teacher bit his lower lip as that smile made his stomach flutter, both for how beautiful it was and for the memories it evoked.

"You said you're lost. Where're you trying to get to?" Kakashi asked curiously, all his attention focused on Iruka.

"Back out the entrance I came in through, but I can't remember where it is and all the other entrances I've found don't look familiar at all," he answered, trying not to fidget under that gaze.

"You're trying to get back to the hospital?"

"Yeah, I've got some fruit for the boys and I want to check back in on Naruto."

"How's he doing today?" Kakashi asked. It wasn't a misleading question; he really hadn't seen the blond that day.

"He woke up!" Iruka declared happily, a big grin showing even white teeth. "He woke up when I got there last night. It was such a relief. He was all dizzy this morning but ate a big breakfast which means he'll be just fine and driving me insane again in no time."

Kakashi chuckled at the man's ability to include happiness, relief, concern, and predicted frustration all into one sentence. It was certainly a talent running through that many emotions so rapidly.

"Well, I'm exiting that way." The businessman pointed a long finger in the direction Iruka needed to go. It was obvious the younger man had no sense of direction. "Come on, I'll help you get to where you're going."

He didn't wait for an answer, instead standing up and grabbing Iruka's backpack on the way. He held out a hand to help the darker man to his feet, which was accepted after a brief hesitation. The smaller man looked mildly relieved when Kakashi released his hand without incident and they moved off together into the main thoroughfare.

It was incredibly interesting observing the crowd's reaction to the wealthy man's presence. Iruka watched as people instinctively stepped out of Kakashi's way, flowing around him like water parting around a rock. A path just seemed to open, offering clear passage to the tall man.

_Slap him in a robe, give him a __staff, and call the man Moses,_ Iruka thought with amusement.

There was a side effect though; all the people moving out of Kakashi's path were moving into his. The less imposing man found himself dodging and weaving around far more bodies than he would usually have to. That was until a muscular arm found its way around his shoulders and he was pulled into Kakashi's space.

"What are you doing?" Iruka hissed at him as people started staring at them.

"Relax," Kakashi practically purred in his ear, sending trembles running down his spine, "you're in California. Gay couples are so common here they even legalised the marriage. No one will care."

"Then why are people staring?" Iruka demanded in a low tone and pushed the invading arm off his shoulders.

The arm just dropped lower and hooked around his waist. With an inelegant squeak, the teacher was pulled against his companion's tall frame tightly and quickly had to match Kakashi's step or risk stumbling. He shot a glare up at the insufferable stranger only to be distracted by the mind numbingly sexy smile directed back down at him. The silver head dipped and Iruka swallowed nervously, eyes going wide. The deep smooth voice flowed over him again.

"Don't look now, but I think we've started an epidemic."

"Huh?" Iruka blinked up before looking around.

Sure enough, there were people trying to stem nosebleeds everywhere. Once more, he felt his cheeks heating up and dropped his head into his hand with a groan. Kakashi just laughed and guided him through the crowds easily, completely unaffected by the attention directed at them. As they neared the exit, Iruka began to recognise stalls.

"Hey, I think this is where I came in," he said as he looked around and spotted the stall displaying the seedpod magnets with googly eyes. "It is where I came in! Thanks Kakashi."

He smiled gratefully up at the taller man who returned it with one of his own.

"Mah, no problem. So, what are you up to now? Heading straight back to the hospital?"

"I'm not sure. I probably should as it's so close to lunch, but I still have to find somewhere to stay," Iruka answered. They stopped walking and the younger man stepped out of the warm embrace, smiling sheepishly. "You were right in what you said last night; I haven't thought things through very well."

Kakashi just shrugged. "You were right in telling me to back off."

The tanned man smiled and rubbed at his scar. "I can get a bit narky when my temper spikes. Sorry if I offended you last night and thanks for helping me out today."

He paused awkwardly for a moment, not really sure what to say next. Considering whom he was talking to, Iruka decided the most intelligent course of action would likely be to run away.

"I'd better get going," he laughed uneasily and rubbed at his nose scar again. "Could I have my ba-"

"Your brother's at the Hospital in the next block, right? I have a friend in there I'm going to visit," Kakashi interrupted him casually.

"Oh," Iruka remarked intelligently.

"Let's walk together and if we pass any accommodation we can stick our heads in and see if they have any rooms available for you. Besides, I've never been in this part of the city and it's nice to have someone with a friendly face nearby. Would you mind keeping me company for awhile? I'd appreciate it." The handsome man hit him with a gorgeous smile and for the second time since they'd met Iruka only realised he'd agreed after an arm wrapped back around his shoulders and lead him forwards.

Damn that smile was dangerous! He shot a quick resentful glance in the silver haired man's direction. How the hell did this happen… _again_? He wasn't supposed to have ever seen the man again, let alone be wandering down the street with that strong arm around his shoulders looking for all the world like a couple taking a stroll.

"You really are very manipulative," Iruka grumped.

Kakashi just chuckled and pulled him a little closer.

"So, what's up with your friend?" Iruka asked, deciding to let the man have his way for now. It really was easier just not to argue and having company was kind of nice.

"He was in a car accident, same as Naruto. He's alright but has to stay in for observation for a few days. He's more my apprentice than my friend, but I hope we'll be able to move beyond that as he gets older and become friends," the older man remarked.

"I can understand that, I hope for the same thing with some of my students but I haven't been teaching for very long and all the kids are still young. What do you train your apprentice in? Somehow I doubt you're a carpenter," Iruka smiled genially.

"Well, I do enjoy working with wood." Kakashi smirked as the innuendo flew straight over the innocent brunette's head. Iruka really did lack a dirty mind. "I train him in how to survive the big bad world of business and make a profitable income."

Iruka let out a bark of laughter and grinned up at the larger male.

"A damn sight more than just profitable I'd say. How many business men do you know that gallivant around in private jets?"

Kakashi just chuckled and refrained from answering the question. He actually knew quite a few, but saying it would just make him seem boorish. He decided to distract the smaller man instead.

"Here's a hotel. Want to see if there's a room available?"

Iruka looked up at the large, elegant building with its fancy entranceway and expensive cars pulling up to perfectly uniformed porters. There was no way in hell he could afford something like this!

"Ah, no. Doesn't really look like my kind of place and there's no need for you to go accommodation hunting with me. I'll do that later." His voice was pleasantly light but he looked away, hoping the discomfort wasn't showing in his eyes. "How boring that would be for you. Let's just get to the hospital so you can visit your, um, apprentice."

Damn it, this was so embarrassing. There was no way he could have Kakashi come around to the backpacker hostels with him, trying to find the cheapest one. That was just out of the question. Iruka was proud of his independence and didn't think how much one earned should define their worth… but he also had his pride and having such a wealthy man watch him scrounge for the most reasonable price would just be humiliating. He wouldn't put either of them through that uncomfortable experience. Thankfully, Kakashi didn't push the issue, he just gave an agreeable hum and Iruka was grateful.

They wandered along in companionable silence for a few minutes until the hospital came into view. Iruka realised that if Sasuke was out for another walk his young friend might see Kakashi with his arm around his shoulders and that would be terrible, especially after the hickey incident from that morning. He stopped walking and the older man stopped with him.

"What's wrong?" the calm, smooth voice asked.

Stepping out from under Kakashi's arm, Iruka turned and looked up at him with serious dark eyes.

"I'm going to need my bag back now," Iruka said with a gentle smile. "Thank you for carrying it around for me today."

The silver crowned head cocked slightly to the side as Kakashi studied the orphanage sensei. Iruka just looked at him calmly with his hand outstretched and waiting.

"Not embarrassed to be seen with me, are you?" the older man asked, only half joking.

The gentle smile turned warm but the dark eyes were determined. Kakashi had seen that look on the plane when Iruka had effectively put him in his place. This was the determination shown when the young teacher had fought back where powerful corporation leaders would tremble and submit.

"I'm not embarrassed. If anything, I'd think it would be the other way around. I do, however, have two young men I love dearly would be upset if they saw me with a strange man. I won't do that to them. There's no need for us to walk up there separately, but I will take my bag back and I'm asking you to keep your hands to yourself."

Kakashi knew he could either argue and risk angering the gentle man or do as Iruka asked and stay in his good books. He opted to stay in the good books. Shrugging the backpack off his shoulder, he placed the strap in the waiting tanned hand.

"Thank you," Iruka said sincerely.

They set off across the grass again. As they neared the hospital entrance, Kakashi saw a familiar dark haired figure pacing in the foyer. He'd better set the stage for this little forthcoming show very quickly or the whole production might just crumble under his fingertips.

"Do you really think Naruto and Sasuke would be that shocked at seeing you with me?" Kakashi asked.

"Naruto might be happy for me; he's been wanting me to find someone for years, worried that I'll end up lonely no matter how many times I tell him I'm fine. Sasuke wouldn't be very happy though. He's quite possessive and he was _very _angry when he saw that mark this morning. He'd probably try and disintegrate you with one of his trademark glares," Iruka said with a fond smile.

"Oh, he tried that earlier. We had a little chat and sorted it out, I don't think he'll protest too much anymore," Kakashi remarked casually.

Iruka stared at him with a furrowed brow and very confused eyes. "What are you talking about? You don't know Sasuke… do you?"

The timing was simply perfect. They'd just walked through the main entrance doors and Sasuke would reach them any second. Iruka was so fixated on him that he hadn't noticed the Uchiha's approach.

"Of course," Kakashi replied, as if they had discussed it a million times before. "He is my apprentice after all. Right Sasuke?"

Iruka's head snapped around and he blinked at the young raven-haired man in confused surprise. Sasuke looked like he was carved out of ice, not one emotion to be seen. Inside, however, the young man was livid.

"Yes sensei," he bit out on an emotionless voice.

Brown eyes darted between the two taller men as the teacher pointed at the both in turn.

"Wait a minute. You two know each other?"

They nodded while throwing threatening glares at each other. Kakashi didn't want Sasuke to screw up this moment by saying something stupid and Sasuke didn't want Kakashi anywhere near Iruka or for the shorter man to even know of their connection.

"You're Sasuke's sensei?"

A silver head nodded.

"And you're Kakashi's apprentice?"

The raven-haired man nodded. He couldn't exactly deny it now he'd already called the bastard 'sensei'.

"Hold on! Did you bring my bags in last night?" Another nod from the silver head. "And on the plane, when you said you had business at the hospital my brother was at… that was Sasuke?" another nod.

"And when you said a resourceful associate dropped off my bags, you were talking about Kakashi?"

Sasuke nodded. Iruka began to fume. His dark eyes narrowed, his hands clenched into fists, and his face gained colour as the confusion gave way to anger and embarrassment. Lots of strange comments from the two taller men began to fall into place and Iruka felt so incredibly humiliated. Waves of pure fury began to emanate from the slender body and people previously loitering in the foyer suddenly found themselves scurrying for safer pastures. Iruka turned to glower at Sasuke.

"You asked him to escort me here, didn't you?" he asked in a warning tone.

Sasuke had only seen Iruka like this a few times, usually when someone had threatened Naruto or one of his friends. The last time Iruka had emanated this much anger he'd made two grown men cry without even laying a finger on them. Needless to say, the stoic and powerful Uchiha was terrified. Kakashi, in his ignorance, just looked thoroughly intrigued. Fool.

"I'm sorry, Iruka." Sasuke decided that maybe if he started apologising immediately he might live through this.

It was time to do something extremely anti-Uchiha like… it was time to let some emotion show. The onyx eyes swam with all the sorrow and remorse he'd been holding in since the accident, focusing solely on the furious brown orbs.

"I was just really worried and it's such a long trip from Japan. You know you and Naruto mean the world to me and you were travelling all that way because we were in an accident… and I was driving. I'd been driving and Naruto ended up in a coma and… I just wasn't thinking straight. It was bad enough with him being injured; I was in pain and on morphine. I was so scared for the idiot and everything was out of my control. It was all my fault that he was hurt and the idea of you making that long trip alone frightened me. Kakashi called to say he was coming so I asked him to keep an eye on you. It's only because I love you and I was… I still am torn up with guilt over what happened with Naruto. I was driving; I should have seen some sign or done something to have protected him better… but… I couldn't. I couldn't bring him back, only you could and you had to get here to bring him back. I just needed you to get here because... you always make things right," Sasuke finished in a small voice, his head hanging and raven locks falling to hide his overly emotional eyes. "I'm sorry."

There was a moments silence and then warm gentle arms were wrapping around him. They pulled his head down to rest on the slender shoulders capable of bearing so many heavy burdens. One arm circled him as the other cradled his head and fingers stroked his hair soothingly. Sasuke felt like he was fifteen years old again and had just received his first real cuddle from the amazing man. He didn't know whether to push him away and run or hold on for dear life.

Warm lips kissed his cheek and a soft voice whispered in his ear, "Thank you, Sasuke. I love you too, very much, and neither Naruto nor I blame you for what happened. None of this was your fault. We still love you. Now, take a deep breath and count to three."

Iruka understood him so well. The kind teacher knew that Sasuke's pride would be damaged already with the public display of emotion, especially in front of his boss and sensei. He took a deep breath and got himself back under control, breaking from the loving embrace with a sharp pang of regret.

Iruka studied his young friend closely and saw that the black eyes were back under control. He'd _never_ seen Sasuke get that emotional and it had been both difficult to watch and incredibly heart warming. How could he stay angry after that? The young man had just shown more emotion in one minute than he usually showed in an entire month and all of it had been very painful for him to reveal. Iruka was truly grateful that Sasuke had opened up, just for that one moment.

Sasuke cleared his throat before attempting to speak again. "The reason I'm down here is because the doctor is with Naruto and waiting for you. He has some concerns that he will apparently only discuss with a family member." The last part was almost growled out.

Yep, the switch to anger was Sasuke's typical defence mechanism to showing any form of excess emotion and Iruka knew the young man would be alright.

"Did you tell him you are family?" he asked, knowing that would touch Sasuke's heart.

It obviously did because the younger man glared hard enough to crack a stone.

"He said I don't count," this was also growled out.

Iruka reached up and ruffled the raven locks affectionately. Some of the hardness left Sasuke's handsome face.

"Well, I'd best go up and set him straight then. Thanks for waiting down here to let me know," the teacher said before looking over at Kakashi who was staring between the two of them in barely masked astonishment.

A frown creased Iruka's forehead as dark eyes narrowed in anger. Sasuke might have been out of trouble but the silver haired man was still very deep in the red. Kakashi was just lucky that Naruto needed him at that moment.

"I'll leave you two to catch up," he said before fully facing the older man, the indignant teacher's voice coming into full effect. "You and I will discuss things later."

With that said, Iruka turned and walked to the elevators. Kakashi and Sasuke silently watched him leave before turning to face each other. There was a moment of awkward silence.

"He's really something, huh?" Kakashi remarked.

Sasuke gave the tiniest of smiles. "Yeah, he is."

The older man nodded before jerking a thumb in the direction of the cafeteria.

"Come on, kid. I'll buy you a coffee."

**…**

Naruto was feeling extremely annoyed. The doctors kept coming in and disturbing his sleep to shine lights in his eyes, check his blood pressure, poke him everywhere, and ask all sorts of weird questions. The most annoying thing was that no matter how many times he asked, they refused to take out the IV feed! Except for being a little light headed now and then, he felt absolutely fine and could eat and drink on his own. Even the doctors themselves had said they were amazed at how quickly he was recovering, but Naruto had always been a fast healer it was something he took pride in.

Naruto hated having doctors poking, prodding, and examining him and this fat, old, balding man was the worst of the lot. He was apparently one of the hospital's top doctors and the other doctors who had examined Naruto earlier had called him in because they were worried they were missing something. The man was a Head Trauma Specialist and obviously thought very highly of himself, announcing to Sasuke and Naruto that he was a member of the hospital's board of directors and extremely busy. Honestly, Naruto didn't know how the two of them and the man's ego all managed to fit in the room. It was a good thing Sasuke had gone to wait for Iruka or there wouldn't have been enough room!

"How much longer will your guardian be?" the doctor asked impatiently.

A pen light was flashed in and out of Naruto's clear blue eyes and the blond felt his temper creep higher.

"He'll be here soon, he said he'd be back by lunch time," Naruto answered, trying to be polite. "Look, I can't see why you won't just tell me whatever you need to. I can pass the info along to my brother when he gets here. Hell, you could have told Sasuke too, the guy's family anyway."

The doctor looked at him like he was stupid and gave an irritated sigh.

"You have just suffered from a severe blow to the head and may not yet have full comprehensive capabilities. I will wait until your guardian arrives and that way I don't have to waste my time repeating myself and that other boy is not family according to your forms. I do have other important cases to attend to today."

This guy was really pissing him off. What a pompous asshole speaking to him like that. Obviously, he had missed the training on bedside manners; either that or he thought so highly of himself that he didn't give a shit about how his patients felt. Naruto was willing to bet it was the latter. Luckily, Iruka decided to make his appearance at that moment before the annoyed young man could make any scathing comments.

"Hey Kit," his brother greeted, walking to his side and dropping the backpack onto the visitor chair. "Hello doctor. I'm Iruka, Naruto's older brother. My apologies for keeping you waiting, I didn't know what time you would be checking in on him."

Iruka held out a hand for the doctor to shake but the stuck-up asshole completely ignored it. Instead, he gave a loud sigh and started flipping through the notes on Naruto's progress. That was the final straw! Naruto could put up with the man being rude to him but to so callously dismiss Iruka was another matter entirely.

Just as he drew breath to snap at the specialist, a calming hand landed on his shoulder. Blue eyes looked up to meet serious brown and the elder sibling shook his head, silently telling the blond to hold his tongue. Fine, he would keep quiet for now but if that dickhead was rude to Iruka one more time he would let him have it!

"He appears to be recovering quickly but there could be issues that haven't surfaced yet," the doctor spoke in an impatient manner, not bothering to look at either of the brothers. "I'll be sending him for another MRI to make sure there's no swelling or bleeding into the brain."

Iruka nodded. "I see. I'm glad that you're checking things out so carefully. In the mean time, is there anything we should be doing to help speed the recovery?"

The doctor looked up from the notes at the brunette like he was stupid. It was the exact same look he'd given to Naruto earlier and the blond tensed, about to snap. A tight squeeze from the hand on his shoulder had him once again biting his tongue, but it didn't stop him from attempting to recreate one of Sasuke's glares.

"No, he just needs to rest and get some sleep."

Naruto snorted internally at that considering he kept trying to sleep and they kept coming in to prod at him!

"The more pressing issue, however," the doctor continued, ignoring the blond's glare, "is the matter of payment for the treatment the patient has received at this hospital."

The brothers were taken aback by that statement. Neither of them considered money to be anywhere near as important as their health and for a _doctor_ to infer otherwise was incredibly disconcerting. The doctor ignored their surprised and offended looks.

"I require you to follow me to our finance department where you will be taken over the incurred costs. As you are foreigners, payment will need to be made upfront today and they are substantial due to the limited health insurance plan you're on. Now, I have lots of other patients to see so come along quickly."

The doctor turned and started walking toward the door without looking back to see if Iruka followed. That was more than enough for Naruto.

"Hey, you basta-"

"Naruto!" Iruka snapped, interrupting his little brother's outburst before continuing to speak more gently gently. "It's alright. You try and get some sleep; I'll take care of this."

Naruto studied the clear brown eyes of his older brother and felt his heart flutter with nervousness. Iruka was _really _worried. No matter how calm he looked on the outside, those eyes had never been able to hide what was going on internally. If Iruka was worried then Naruto was worried.

"Ruru, what are you worried about? Don't we have enough money?" he asked, concern shining clearly from cerulean eyes as he placed his hand over the smaller one resting on his shoulder.

Damn it! He'd known the exchange program would be too expensive. Iruka had said it was fine and they could afford it but he shouldn't have come. It was stupid and selfish of him to have come, no matter what his brother had said, and now they were in financial trouble!

"Don't you worry about that, just get some sleep and leave things to me. All you need to do is focus on getting better."

The warm hand slipped out from under his and his blond hair was ruffled by it before his older brother left to catch up with the doctor. Naruto watched him go with stones of dread slowly forming in his stomach. Iruka's eyes had definitely been very worried. The blond began chewing on his thumbnail nervously and looked out the window. Sleep would be impossible, not until Iruka came back and told him what was going on.

Turbulent thoughts ran through the injured man's mind as he stared at the clear blue sky. He was furious at the doctor's rude attitude, desperately worried at Iruka's reaction, and the intense feeling of guilt that had settled over his heart was torturous. What if he, through his selfish desires, had plunged them into financial trouble?

Naruto had always been prone to overreacting and his mind at that moment was going crazy. Things in America were expensive but he'd been very careful to stay well within budget during his time here. Sasuke had been wonderful, if there was something exciting but expensive on his friend would pay for the tickets and just give him one saying he didn't want to go alone and Naruto had to come with him. The bastard could be very generous and knew the only way Naruto would accept someone paying for him was if it was already bought and his friend demanded his presence.

How much did hospital fees here cost? Would they be able to pay the next instalment of rent back in Japan? Would Iruka be able to afford a plane ticket home or accommodation until he and Sasuke were discharged? Maybe they could discharge him today, that way it wouldn't cost anymore! Naruto felt fine, really. The dizziness wasn't that bad. Taking an unsteady breath, Naruto fisted his hands in the blankets and calculated how much he had in his bank account and travellers cheques back at the apartment. Everything was his fault! Why did he have to be so selfish and go on exchange?

"Hoi, idiot, where's Iruka?"

Naruto snapped his head around to see Sasuke walking into the room with a tall silver haired stranger. Who on earth was that? He'd never seen that man before. Oh, who cared! They were going to lose their house because he got a stupid bump to the head!

Sasuke watched as the azure eyes of his friend swam with desperation and felt his heart give a worried thump.

"Oi, what's wrong?" he asked, coming to sit on the bed next to his best friend.

"Sasuke... I think we're in trouble," Naruto said in a small voice, looking almost frightened and completely miserable.

The worry increased exponentially. The young Uchiha had _never_ heard the ball of endless optimism sound frightened!

"What's happened?" he demanded harshly, instantly ready to destroy any and all threats to his two most precious people.

Was Naruto's injury more severe than initially thought? If so, there would be specialists and the best care. _Nothing_ would take the brothers away from him.

"How much do American hospitals cost?" the blond asked, clearly very upset.

Sasuke hadn't been expecting that question. "Why?"

"That doctor, the one that's a right prick and said you're not family, he was really mean to Iruka, treating him like he was an idiot and then demanded he go to the finance department right now to pay all the hospital fees. The asshole said that they're going to be really expensive."

_Shit! _Sasuke cursed internally.

He hadn't gotten around to organising with the hospital for all the medical costs to be paid for by his company before the brothers found out about them. He hadn't expected the hospital to demand payment before discharge and had planned to sort out all the bills that afternoon while Iruka and Naruto rested. Damn it!

"He's worried, Iruka's really worried, I could see it in his eyes. I've never seen him look that worried over money and we've been flat broke at times! The doctor was such an asshole and he said that because we're foreigners Iruka had to pay for everything today, right now!" Naruto finished desperately. "How much do these places cost?"

Sasuke was about to leap off the bed and go after Iruka when a firm hand landed on his shoulder and held him down.

"Stay with your friend," Kakashi ordered. "I've got it."

Before Sasuke could protest, the silver-haired man was already out the door.

"Who is that?" Naruto asked.

A spark of anger flared in his chest but Sasuke had to admit his sensei was in a better position for dealing with the situation than he was. Kakashi had a way of making people do as he wanted very easily where it was still difficult for Sasuke to command that kind of respect at only twenty years of age. He would entrust the situation to his sensei. At that moment, he had to calm Naruto down. The moron was overreacting again.

**…**

Sitting under the old oak tree near the ornamental pond in the hospital's front garden, Iruka sighed and re-read over the figures on the piece of paper in his hand. That one white sheet of numbers was about to bring a whole world of trouble down upon him and his brother. How could the fees be so high for only three days of treatment? The Ambulance costs, specialty treatment, medication, a million other tiny things, and even just the cost of the hospital bed had all accumulated into the thousands and Iruka was feeling desperate.

The hospital's accounting department had demanded he pay immediately but Iruka had played the language card, something he very rarely did. While he could read English easily, he had told them he needed time to fully understand and decipher the text properly so they'd allowed him to take the invoice away for further study. They'd not been happy about it though. No matter how many times he read over the text the end figure never changed. He could afford to pay it… he just couldn't afford accommodation or to fly home afterward. He also couldn't afford any more of the fees Naruto's treatment would continue to accumulate until they released him.

He was so incredibly screwed. The only way out of the situation was to ask Sasuke for money and he hated the idea of that! He and Naruto had made a promise to each other that no matter how bad things got they would never ask their wealthy friend for money. It was important that Sasuke knew they were his friends because they loved him, not because he was rich. But what other option did he have? Better to borrow from Sasuke than his other friends who were as poor as he and Naruto.

With a defeated sigh, Iruka drew his legs to his chest, wrapped his arms around his knees, and rested his forehead on them. The invoice slipped from his lax fingers and Iruka prayed it would blow into the pond and ink dissolve away. If only the debt would dissolve with it. He resolutely forced down the overwhelming helplessness threatening to rise and choke him. He'd never wanted to be placed in this situation, there were too few options.

A strong arm wrapped around his shoulders and with a startled gasp, Iruka found himself pulled gently sideways to lean against a large, warm body.

"You doing alright?" Kakashi asked with concern in his deep voice.

All the anger and humiliation from earlier came flooding back, mixing with the helplessness and worry to form a volatile and turbulent emotional mix. Something inside the teacher snapped. Growling, Iruka turned blazing eyes up to the taller man.

"What the hell would you care?" he bit out and noticed the invoice in the other man's hand. Reaching over and snatching it back, Iruka pushed out of the embrace, coming to rest on one knee facing Kakashi, the other foot flat to the ground and ready to push his body away a moment's notice. "What makes you think you have the right to read someone else's documents? I have no time for your shit right now, Kakashi. Go away!"

Anger coursed through his veins and Iruka understood why Sasuke reacted like this; anger was so much easier to deal with than all the other emotions.

Kakashi just looked at him with a calm grey eye and spoke gently but firmly. "No. Everything's alright, Iruka, you don't have to worry about those fees anymore. I've already taken care of them and the future costs. They're gone."

Furiously slitted chocolate eyes widened in disbelief and confusion. The slender shoulders drooped and soft full lips parted slightly as the smaller man recoiled from the mysterious person in front of him. Iruka stared in shocked silence for a moment before the emotions he had so ruthlessly been suppressing broke loose and moisture started to gather in the corners of his tortured eyes.

"Why would you do that?" he demanded loudly as he shifted to rest on both knees and slammed his palms on the grass, feeling angry, miserable, and trapped. "What did you do that for? You didn't have to do that!"

"I've already told you, Iruka. I only ever do what I want to," Kakashi said in a gentle tone, as if trying to sooth a cornered animal.

The incomprehensible man just kept looking at him with that damnable calm and understanding. What the hell did this person want? Why was he even still in his life? Kakashi was supposed to be gone. Iruka had fulfilled his part of the bargain; he'd answered the fucking questions and kissed the manipulative bastard so why the hell wasn't he gone? Iruka felt defeated. He was indebted to Kakashi. The man had bought his debt and now he was beholden to the wealthy stranger! Shit, the emotions overwhelmed him.

"I don't have enough to pay you," he choked out brokenly, closing his eyes and clapping a hand over his mouth to stop a sob.

Arms wrapped around him tightly and he was held close to the larger man. Long fingers ran soothingly through his hair and powerfully muscled arms held him secure. Iruka clasped onto the deep red material of Kakashi's shirt and held on while he struggled to regain control.

"It's alright, you don't owe me anything. I wanted to," Kakashi whispered to the younger man.

The truth was Kakashi wouldn't even notice the money being gone; it was less than pocket change for him. It didn't even make the tiniest ripple in his world yet saved this gentle man from so much trouble. However, he had a feeling Iruka wouldn't be content just to leave the matter be. The young teacher was incredibly independent and Kakashi respected that quality in him. The businessman was unsurprised when the dark head began to shake negatively.

"No, you can't just give away that much. I have to repay you," Iruka insisted in a small voice, he moved back from the broad chest to look up into the grey eye, the strong arms refusing to release him completely. "I will repay you."

Kakashi looked at him seriously. "You insist on repaying me?"

"Yes." The chocolate eyes were still tortured but determined.

"Very well then, this is what I will accept as payment. Firstly, you have to come and stay with me until the boys are discharged. This will help them as well because they'll know you're safe and Sasuke will feel better knowing you have decent accommodation. Secondly, you have to answer any questions I have. And thirdly, you have to kiss me before going to sleep tonight."

Iruka just stared at him stunned disbelief for a few moments.

"You've got to be _kidding_! Kakashi, you just paid thousands of dollars, _American dollars_, and that's what you're asking for? I have to pay you back the _money_! It's too much to play games with."

Kakashi dipped his head, bringing it close to the smaller man's. Iruka's breath caught in his throat but he couldn't pull back any further due to the strong arms still locked around him.

"I told you, this is the only payment I'll accept. Now, it's up to you if you're willing to pay or not. Either way the hospital bill has been taken care of," the older man said very calmly, holding conflicted man's gaze. "What's your decision, Iruka?"

The feeling of _déjà vu _settled over Iruka, this was all way too familiar and like last time he didn't really feel as though he had a choice.

"I'll pay," he said in a small voice.

Kakashi had to fight to keep the smirk of satisfaction from his face; everything had worked out better than he'd hoped.

"Come on, the boys are worried about you. Let's go see them," he said and rose, pulling the younger man to his feet. They turned and headed back toward the hospital, Kakashi screwing up and throwing the troublesome piece of paper in a bin on the way. "We won't be needing that anymore."

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**AN:**** Moral of this chapter... always have travel insurance. If something didn't make sense, ignore it. Brain vomit people! **_**Brain vomit**_**!**

**The man from the market place in the rainbow pants that gave Iruka the strand of red beads is a real person. He was such a fabulous character ^_^**

**Thank you all so much for reviewing and letting me know what you think of the story. I really enjoy hearing from you and think it's just great you're all finding my randomness entertaining. I honestly thought no one would want to read this one. You're all awesome! Let me hear from you, shout it out loud! Click that pretty button!**

**Edited May 2010**


	4. Presidential Suite

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I have been in a Presidential Suite before though.**

**All hail ReixGaara, the loveable beta for this story. If you see her in the streets you have my full permission to **_**glomp**_** her.**

**Amazingly enough, this story is also available now in French. The delightful kuchikirukia2 has put a lot of hard work and effort into translating the story. Just think, if you're studying French you can read it as homework!**

**I also have FanArt! Please have a look at my profile and follow the links to see some wonderful parts of this story drawn by neji-chan of Live Jounal.**

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Drool Zone Warning: This chapter may cause severe cases of blood loss, hyperventilation, heart palpitations, and the spontaneous combustion of underwear. It has also been known to induce high pitched fangirl squealing.**

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**Stranger Situations**

**Chapter 4: Presidential Suite**

"Are you sure you're going to be okay?" Naruto whispered to his brother, throwing a suspicious glance at the silver haired stranger across the room deep in conversation with Sasuke. "He's kinda… weird."

It was such a relief to no longer be talking about the hospital bill and trying to dodge the blond's questions regarding its payment. Naruto had been very upset regarding their financial situation and started demanding details immediately. That had been a supremely uncomfortable moment for Iruka; he didn't want to tell Naruto that Kakashi had paid for everything because his younger brother knew Iruka never accepted hand-outs. He would want to know what the method of repayment was and if they could afford it. Iruka definitely didn't want to tell Naruto about what Kakashi had asked from him! The problem was that Kakashi was standing right behind him and he couldn't come across as being ungrateful either. The man had just helped him out of a very difficult financial and moral dilemma. Putting aside the bizarre repayment deal and his intense nervousness, Iruka was very grateful to him.

The older male had again come to his rescue, assuring Naruto that everything was taken care of and all the charges had been affordable for Iruka. When Naruto had still looked sceptical Kakashi had expertly distracted him by claiming the doctor had just been over exaggerating the whole thing in a bid to make himself look more important than he really is. That statement had happily set the blond off on a rant about egotistical assholes and how he was going to give the doctor a piece of his mind on seeing him next.

The payment Kakashi had asked for was ridiculous. Staying with him for the next few days, answering all his questions, and giving him a kiss before retiring for the night was just not what a normal person would ask for after paying thousands of dollars. Then again, most people didn't give away thousands of dollars in the first place. The whole situation was screwed up and Iruka knew it was temporarily out of his control. He would just have to go with the flow and deal with things as they popped up.

"It'll be fine, he's Sasuke's sensei. They've known each other for years and he was very kind in helping me make it here. There's nothing to worry about."

Now, if only Iruka could feel as confident as he sounded. Truth be told, he was incredibly nervous and had no idea what was going to happen once he left the hospital with Kakashi. He didn't know where they would be staying, how they were getting there, or what it was the older man was planning to do with him.

"I really should get to know him better anyway, considering he's so closely connected with Sasuke." Both the brothers looked over at the tall pale man.

Naruto and Iruka were sitting cross legged on Naruto's hospital bed, facing each other while the other Sasuke and Kakashi spoke quietly together near the door. The tall men really did look remarkable together. Both of them were incredibly handsome and stood with an air of absolute confidence, anyone who looked at them would know immediately that either male was a force to be reckoned with. While Sasuke was undoubtedly striking, Kakashi was magnificent.

For Iruka, it made no sense, none what so ever, that someone like Kakashi would bother with someone like him. This mysterious man had dropped into the teacher's life and helped him out of several difficult situations. The first time had been in Tokyo when trying to talk his way onto a flight, the second in New York when the airport had shutdown and Kakashi provided an alternative mode of transportation, third in the market place when he was lost (though Iruka was confident he would have found his way eventually, he always did), and forth when he'd been faced with possible financial ruin earlier that afternoon. When Iruka considered everything that had happened, it was horribly embarrassing that he'd had to be helped so many times in so few days.

It was also how he found himself in such a strange situation, because of Kakashi paying Naruto's medical costs he was indebted to the wealthy business man. It was not a situation the orphanage sensei had ever wanted to be in. He hated owing anyone but this man made him particularly wary. He was unpredictable, manipulative, and powerful, all of which screamed _trouble_ in Iruka's world.

"Isn't it weird that this is the first time we're meeting someone from Sasuke's other life?" Naruto mused quietly. "I wonder if all the others are as imposing as this guy."

Iruka raised his eyebrows at his younger brother. "Imposing? That's an awfully big word for you."

"Shut up! I can be eloquent when I want," the blond retorted, scowling at him.

Iruka pulled a face of mock horror and reeled back from his little brother with hands raised in fists, ready to defend.

"_Eloquent_? Impostor! Who are you and what have you done with my brother?" the dark haired man demanded, failing to keep the cheeky smile from his face as Naruto shoved at his fisted hands.

"Get stuffed," the blond laughed loudly, "you're not allowed to pick on me, I'm sick."

Pulling the mockingly horrified face again, Iruka grasped Naruto by the shoulders and peered at him intently.

"You mean you're not an impostor? Good grief, you must have brain damage. Whatever it is that's happened I say we repeat the procedure twice," Iruka said with a smirk.

"Hey!" Naruto protested loudly and grabbed a pillow from behind him, trying to smack Iruka in the head with it. The older brother easily blocked with his forearm. "You're just jealous because I got all the looks!"

"No argument there. All those gentlemen callers I had to chase off while you were in your young blossoming years," Iruka teased with an over dramatised sigh.

"Oi, there were no guys coming looking for me and you know it. I would'a kick all their arses anyway if there was, damn perverts."

"You're so pretty until you open your mouth, then the whole magical illusion just falls into a great steaming pile of-"

"Look, if you're that desperate I can always throw a few of my cast-offs your way once I'm done with them," Naruto interrupted cheekily.

Iruka scratched at the back of his head and pretended to consider it. "As generous as your offer is, I do prefer lovers of the human variety."

"Oh, very funny! Pick on the guy with a head injury why don't'ch ya!"

"Well you should know better than to start a fight you can't win, you've never been a match for my superior intellect and _eloquence_. But, as I'm the older brother that's how it was always going to pan-out. You can't fight the inevitable, kiddo," Iruka finished with a haughty expression.

"Yeah… well… You're adopted!" And with that Naruto shoved at Iruka, unfortunately much harder than he'd intended.

"_Woah_!" The pony-tailed man's legs became tangled in the bed sheets and, despite Naruto's desperate lunge to try and grab him; he toppled off the bed to hit the ground with a solid _thump_.

Both brothers froze and looked at each other, Iruka's chocolate eyes wide in surprise at suddenly being cast to the floor and Naruto's blue orbs looking incredibly guilty and apologetic. It only lasted for a second before both dissolved into loud laughter.

"You should have seen your face!" they choked out at the same time between laughs and then cracked up even harder because of it.

The entertaining spectacle was watched from the door with great amusement by Kakashi and Sasuke. The businessmen had stopped their discussion and started listening in on the other conversation when Naruto had first raised his voice. The brothers' joyfully laughing faces and the dancing sound of their mirth made a scene of happy bliss. Speaking with Iruka on the plane and seeing the brothers sleeping in each others arms the night before had helped Kakashi understand why Sasuke was drawn to the two unusual men. What he was witnessing at that moment made him understand why his apprentice loved them.

It also made him want to see how Iruka would look laughing like that while completely naked in the middle of a tussled bed with the afterglow of orgasm still warming his skin. In fact, the incredibly wealthy man hadn't wanted to see something so badly in a long, long time.

Amidst his laughter, Iruka could feel eyes on him and he looked over at the door. The two business tycoons were watching them intently. Sasuke's coal black eyes drifted between himself and Naruto, the dark depth warm and happy as he privately shared their laughter. Kakashi's single grey eye looked only at Iruka. There was amusement there to be sure, but there was also a predatory gleam in the stormy depths. Just as Iruka's laugh was about to die down to a nervous chuckle, a voice from the hall way had his and Naruto ceasing all noise immediately.

"What's with all the racket?" the rude doctor from earlier demanded.

As the medical practitioner huffed just out side the door Naruto immediately fixed him with an angry frown, Sasuke glared, and Iruka looked mildly guilty as he thought of all the other patients they might have disturbed from rest. Kakashi didn't even look phased.

"This is a hospital for heaven's sake, not some-"

"I have things to discuss with you, Doctor," Kakashi interrupted, placing his hand on the short fat man's shoulder and steering him away from the room. "You will walk with me." It was an order the doctor obeyed instinctually and without objection.

Sasuke smirked while Naruto and Iruka looked at each other with eyebrows raised.

"I wonder what that's all about," Naruto mused.

Iruka shrugged and got up off the floor. "Who knows," he said walking through to the small bathroom and washing his hands thoroughly, he'd heard somewhere once that hospital floors were a hive of nasty germs. "So who's hungry? I have food," he announced, strolling over to where he'd dropped his backpack earlier.

At the mention of food, Naruto let out a happy whoop.

**…**

"What on earth did you say to the doctor to make him apologise like that?" Iruka asked Kakashi as the car cruised through the streets of San Francisco. They had been picked up from the hospital only a few minutes earlier. "He looked almost ready to get down on his knees and beg for forgiveness."

Kakashi just shrugged a shoulder and smiled. He had actually suggested to the doctor that that might be a good idea, but Iruka didn't need to know that.

"Mah, I just had a chat with him regarding the latest research into laughter actually being the best medicine."

Iruka gave an amused snort and he shot him a disbelieving look before gazing out the window again. "Where are we going?"

"Do you like swimming?"

Exasperated brown eyes turned to him as the young teacher gave a long suffering sigh. "Are we really going to play the question game again?"

"What's the question game?" Kakashi asked innocently and rejoiced internally when he saw the corner of Iruka's mouth twitch upwards.

"You mean you've never heard of the question game?" the younger man asked with a small smile.

"How do you play it?"

"Didn't you ever play it at school?"

"No, will you teach me?"

"That depends, are you a fast learner?"

"Are you a good teacher?"

"Oh, I'm good but are you willing to be taught?"

"Well what will you offer me in the way of motivation for learning my lessons?" Kakashi asked with a deviant glint in his eye.

Iruka began to suspect where this 'game' was going. "What do you want?" he asked, the previous humour starting to wain.

"That depends," Kakashi said and looked at him seriously, "on how far you're willing to go."

Iruka swallowed around the sudden lump in his throat. "Foul," he said quietly. "Not stated in the form of a question. Two points to me."

Kakashi smile was small and predatory. "I admit defeat," he murmured.

Turning his blushing face back to the window, Iruka tried to ignore the eye boring into him and desperately hoped their driver couldn't speak Japanese. A short while later the teacher noticed they had entered a decidedly expensive looking area of the city. Women and men walked the streets in designer looking attire, he was even beginning to recognise some of the more notable brand names on the stores they were passing and Iruka had never given a hoot about fashion in his life. The cars were more impressive as well, expensive makes and models parked in front of buildings that had those extra finishing touches that showed wealth. This was not Iruka's kind of area.

"Kakashi, where are we going?" he asked again, this time not able to keep the nerves completely from his voice.

The older man looked at him quietly for a moment, taking in the tense shoulders and edgy dark eyes. Reaching across the back of the seats, he slid an arm over the slender shoulders and squeezed reassuringly.

"There's a hotel about another five minutes up the road, that's where we'll be staying. I'm a regular there, which is why they sent the car for me. It's called the Spiralled Leaf and I have a suite there. It has an excellent view of the ocean and city. I think you'll really like it."

Kakashi actually owned the hotel, but Iruka didn't need to know that. The hotel manager had originally wanted to send him a limo but he had requested something more discrete for Iruka's sake. The large, modern, gold trimmed Rolls Royce which had arrived for them (complete with DVD player, wireless internet access, massage option for the chairs and mini-bar) had still been enough to make the orphanage teacher's jaw drop.

Some of the tension drained out of Iruka's shoulders but his eyes were still nervous. Slightly narrowed, they surveyed the people and buildings as the car passed by. Where these people would stand out like sparkly alien creatures in his neighbourhood, his appearance would just scream 'pauper' in theirs. His scarred face would make him stand out enough, once he had hold of his old backpack and duffle bag there would be no doubt as to his financial station. His faded jeans – torn and dirty from where they rub under his ancient sneakers – were also dusty from the markets that morning. Looking over at Kakashi, the brunette wondered how the hell the man could have sat on the ground with him yet his cream trousers were still immaculate.

The flash of red from the beads around his wrist caught Iruka's eye; he could do something about those at least. As he was starting to roll them off his wrist and down his hand Kakashi reached out and stopped him, long fingers wrapping around the beaded-cuff.

"Don't. I like them."

"I'm not leaving them on. They may be alright for the markets, but have you seen the people out there?" Iruka asked, pointing out the window with his free hand. "I'll already stand out like an idiot; with these on I'll just look like an idiot trying to adorn myself."

The large hand didn't move from around his wrist but the arm around his shoulders did. Long elegant fingers caressed his cheek before taking a hold of his chin and slowly, but persistently, tipping his head back. Iruka's heartbeat took off like a rocket as did the warning bells in his head. He lifted his free hand to clasp the pale wrist next to his neck, his other hand still restrained in his lap by the larger man's grip.

"I'm sorry," Kakashi whispered in his ear. "You've been pulled out of your comfort zone so many times in the last few days, all because of me." A hot tongue swept over his pulse point, making the teacher give a small gasp. "I just can't seem to leave you alone though."

Thin lips fastened onto the sensitive honeyed skin, making Iruka's pulse become erratic beneath their caress. Little licks and gentle nips had his breathing grow ragged before the mouth moved up to suck on his earlobe.

"Stop it," Iruka hissed, trying to tug off the hand on his chin so he could move away from that sinful mouth. "If you give me another hickey I swear I'll smack you into next week. We have to get out of the car soon." The blasted hand wouldn't move.

That distracting tongue ran up the shell of his ear before dipping quickly inside and causing goosebumps to break out across his skin. A shudder ran through his frame and Iruka keened in the back of his throat. Kakashi smirked in satisfaction at the reaction but forced himself to stop. Iruka was right, they would be stopping soon. Releasing the narrow chin, he moved back to their previous position of sitting side by side with his arm draped over the smaller man's shoulders.

He looked down into the annoyed and slightly dazed chocolate eyes and smiled, watching as a hot blush spread over the scarred nose.

"Bastard." Iruka tried to elbow him; his wrist was still restrained by Kakashi's large hand though. "You planning on letting me go any time soon?" he snapped in a low tone.

Kakashi just smirked. "I have no plans of the sort. We're here."

The car pulled to a stop and his door was opened by a pristinely uniformed porter with white gloves. By the time Iruka stepped from the car, he had only a quick view of his bags disappearing through the front doors carried by another uniformed employee. The hotel was immense, black stone pillars lined the entryway, each with a golden vine-like pattern winding up them. Each and every person entering and exiting the building was either a perfectly uniformed staff member or an incredibly stylish guest, many of which had paused to look in their direction. He looked up as Kakashi reached his side and tried to ignore the stares they were both receiving. Why did people have to gawk so openly?

"They took my bags," he said uncomfortably, for lack of knowing what else to do.

Kakashi just smiled kindly and dropped an arm over his shoulders, steering him toward the main entrance. As they entered, the older man gave his shoulder a quick squeeze.

"Do you mind taking a seat over there just a moment?" The silver crowned head nodded towards some stylish black armchairs near a water feature in the middle of the foyer. "I just have to speak with reception quickly."

"Yeah, sure," Iruka answered and wandered off when Kakashi released him.

The uneasy teacher didn't feel like sitting down, he wanted to stand and observe the room. It was a magnificent building; the long black lacquered administration desk was decorated with a golden inlaid vine design the centre of the leaves stylised with a small spiral. Iruka recognised it as the same design as the pillars out the front. It was very pretty. There were plenty of staff waiting in simplistically elegant black and white uniforms, each with a polite smile on their faces and speaking in respectfully mild tones. The white and grey marbled floor was quite stunning and a red carpet ran from the entrance way straight to the reception area. Iruka guessed it was meant to make each person who crossed the threshold feel like they were a celebrity or some such nonsense.

The walls were all painted stark white and the area would seem sterile if it weren't for the colourful paintings and large tinted windows letting in sunlight. All in all, the decor was very stylish and modern but lacking in warmth. The large feature fountain he stood next to was made from what appeared to be white marble. Three large leaves layered upon each other had water flowing over them. They were done in such a way that they might have just fallen from the tree and been caught to dance in the wind. The spiral design adorned their surface and caused the water to move in interesting patterns. 'Impressive' was the word to use, the hotel was very impressive. The people staying seemed to be equally impressive.

Iruka enjoyed observing people, just watching as they went about their business. He found the way each individual moved, gestured, and talked to be interesting. The staff were discrete and went about their tasks unobtrusively, the clientele was a mixture of obviously wealthy characters who enjoyed displaying their status through differing methods. To his left was a woman dressed in a loose fitting black outfit with a flowing ensemble of multi-coloured silk scarves around her neck, shoulders and waist. The woman was frighteningly thin, making her look like a stick insect that fallen into a black sack then walked through a rainbow. Her companion was a large white poodle with the true puffy poodle haircut. He felt sorry for the dog. Any self-respecting creature would be embarrassed to have its fur cut like that, shaven in some areas and ridiculously poufy in others. Its claws were painted bright pink to match the pink diamond studded collar and leash.

_Surely they can't be real diamonds_, Iruka mused. _That'd just be excessive._

Across the foyer was a hunched elderly man, bald and wrinkled, with two stunningly big breasted blonds hanging onto his arms. The bleach blonds were dressed in practically nothing and giggling at anything the old man said, stroking his thinned hair and lined face with blood red fingernails. He, in turn, leered at them happily and gave a naughty grope every now and then.

Off at the far end of the room were three young women that Iruka guessed to be around twenty years in age. Each wore short skirts, very high heeled shoes, huge sunglasses, and had frighteningly long, brightly painted nails. They stood together but ignored each other completely, instead speaking into slender mobile phones. Each also had a very large handbag containing a very small and miserable looking dog. Iruka had never liked what he dubbed to be rat-dogs but that didn't stop him from feeling very sorry for the unhappy looking creatures. They were dogs for goodness sake, not accessories.

Strange people like that were scattered through out the foyer, some coming, some going, and some just loitering to talk or pose. And pose they did, all of them in one way or another, except for one silver haired figure at the front counter.

Leaning lazily on the shiny black surface, Kakashi looked gorgeous. He didn't pose or display himself, he just _was_ and he looked all the more sexy for it. Everyone that walked past looked at him, the women with open lust and invitation, the men with respect or challenge. Kakashi looked at them all with a completely bored expression that just made those trying to catch his eye all the more desperate for it. The idea that _that_ man had licked and nibbled on his neck a few moments before in the car seemed impossible. Even more impossible was the fact that soon he would be walking over to this scarred nobody and leading him up to a room they would be sharing for the next few days.

The long legs crossed casually and the wine coloured shirt stretched over the broad chest and shoulders. Kakashi's face was turned so Iruka only got the side profile, but it was still obvious that the pale features were stunningly handsome. His whole posture was relaxed and elegant. Kakashi looked like a character described in a novel, too striking and extraordinary to be real.

A nervous warmth fluttered in his chest as the remarkable shock of silver hair turned his way, the older man seeming to sense he was under scrutiny from someone other than the posing patrons. His single eye locked on Iruka and the younger man unconsciously licked his lips before swallowing. The thin mouth lifted in a sexy grin which bordered on becoming a leer. Iruka blushed and stuffed his hands in his jean pockets, mildly glaring at the gorgeous man across the room for no other reason than he was feeling uncomfortable and that smile wasn't helping the fluttering in his stomach.

The loud rushed clicking of shoes coming from behind him drew Iruka's attention. A very anxious looking man in a grey pinstripe suit with bright pink tie came rushing across the room, wringing his hands and looking directly at Kakashi with something akin to fearful respect in his eyes. Iruka wasn't 100 percent sure, but he suspected that the man's hair was fake. His gaze flicked sideways to Iruka briefly before returning to Kakashi, seeming to register the teacher's out of place appearance, and flicking back to Iruka again. He stopped next to the orphanage sensei with a mildly annoyed expression on his face. Iruka could read that expression like a billboard, it clearly demanded to know what someone like him was doing there.

_Uh oh, this is going to be awkward._

"Pardon me, sir. Are you a guest of our fine establishment?" asked the harried man with obvious false politeness.

"Um, in a manner of speaking." Iruka scratched at the back of his neck and tried not to blush, his other hand still in the pocket of his jeans. "I'm here with another guest."

"Hmm, I see. And the name of this other guest would be?" The man let his gaze wander over Iruka's clothes with a disdainfully raised eyebrow and something inside the normally gentle man began to boil.

His dark eyes narrowed and his shoulders straightened. The man currently scrutinizing him noticed the shift in body language and also straightened up. They locked eyes and began the manly art of trying to stare the other down. There was no way Iruka was going to be pushed around by this wig-wearing jerk. What the hell was it with people being rude to him lately? Ever since that nasty ticket lady in Tokyo, he seemed to keep running into Assholes! Perhaps it was International Asshole Week instead of the day he'd initially suspected.

"Is there any particular reason why you've decided to single me out and question my presence from all those currently in the room?" Iruka asked, his tone of voice very clearly indicating that how his question was answered would set the tone for the rest of the conversation.

The man bristled and flared his nostrils. "There is a certain calibre of person we welcome through our doors. You do not have the appearance of one that would normally frequent this most excellent establishment."

"Yes, I can see that. I'm neither cruel to animals nor a cradle snatcher," Iruka commented mildly, nodding towards the miserable looking handbag dogs and the old man with the two bimbo's hanging off him.

The suited man's face turned an interesting shade of red, making the grooves where his nostrils flared stand out starkly white. "How wretched," he almost spat. "I insist you tell me the name of the guest you are here to see at once."

Before Iruka could say another word, a familiar arm draped over his shoulders and he watched in bafflement as the pinstripe suited man's jaw dropped and his whole face twisted into an expression of almost pure horror.

_Perhaps he's a homophobe_, Iruka wondered.

"M-Mr. Hatake! What a pleasure it is to see you this afternoon, sir. Have you had a pleasant day? Was the car service to your satisfaction?" the man openly simpered and summoned up a smile which looked like it might split his face in two.

Iruka cocked an eyebrow at the extreme change in attitude and looked up at Kakashi curiously. Kakashi was not smiling; in fact, he had the exact same emotionless expression he'd used with the doctor earlier.

"Matherson," he said in a tone which could have been a greeting… if you squinted at it sideways. "Mr. Umino here is my guest. I expect every courtesy to be extended to him as it would to me. Understood?"

Iruka blinked up at the taller man with wide eyes. _There_ was the aggressive and commanding tyrant he'd caught a glimpse of on the plane. Oh goodness, the man was intimidating like this, he positively radiated authority and something Iruka could only begin to describe as don't-fuck-with-me-ness. The smaller man unconsciously leaned away, only to have the hand on his shoulder tighten and hold him in place.

The person Kakashi had identified as Matherson nodded his head agreeably and continued the painfully wide smile. "Of course, Mr. Hatake, any guest of yours will be treated to only the very best service here at the Spiralled Leaf. I will instruct all staff to offer every assistance to Mr. Umino here." The horribly fake smile was turned on Iruka and if the strong arm hadn't been across his shoulders the tanned man likely would have taken a step backward. As it was, he drew back into the hold and found himself pulled a little more snugly against the large body beside him. "Mr. Umino, may I be the first to welcome you to our hotel. For the duration of your stay if you need anything, anything at all, please feel free to ask for me. I am David Matherson, the Manager of this most esteemed establishment and-"

"That's enough," Kakashi interrupted when Iruka looked like he might throw up or punch the toupee wearing idiot in front of him.

Without further ceremony Iruka found himself propelled toward the far end of the room.

"Of course, Mr. Hatake. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow!" was called after them as the two men walked across the marbled floor to a row of tall elevators.

Kakashi didn't bother answering or looking back, Iruka couldn't resist taking a peek over his shoulder. Matherson was stark white and looked like he wanted to drown himself in the fountain. The man was obviously very distressed by the conversation that had just taken place. He looked up at the emotionless expression on the silver haired mans face and the tanned brow furrowed. He didn't like seeing that look of controlled nothingness; it just didn't seem right on those handsome features.

Reaching up, Iruka placed his hand over the larger one on his shoulder. The silver eyebrow rose as Kakashi looked down at him in surprise. Iruka smiled warmly and watched as the thin sexy mouth also tilted upwards.

"That's better." Iruka nodded slightly and watched as an indescribable emotion flickered through the stormy eye. The warm smile turned cheeky and Iruka shoved the arm from his shoulders. "Now get off. People are starting to stare again and their outfits are too expensive to start an epidemic like you did at the markets."

The older man released a deep, sexy laugh and just repeated the move he'd used earlier, hooking his arm around the teacher's waist and pulling him close. Even though Iruka had tried to be quick and side step the motion, he still had to do a quick foot shuffle to match the other's stride. He glared as Kakashi pressed the button to summon the elevator and looked back down at him.

"Don't you dare smile at me," he growled threateningly and the silver haired man gave him an innocent look.

"You're wrong you know," the smooth voice commented.

"About?"

"The epidemic earlier. I didn't start it." The silvered head dipped and a hot tongue ran up the back of a tanned ear, causing Iruka's breath to hitch and his face to flush hotly. "_We_ did."

A _ding_ announced the arrival of the elevator and the blushing man cast a quick look around the foyer just before he was steered inside. Quite a number of people were staring at them, more than a few stemming nose bleeds. The one that caught his attention though was the lady with the poodle. She had one of her colourful scarfs stuffed up her nose, slowly soaking red, and had a hand clamped over the eyes of her dog to protect it from the indecent sight. Iruka couldn't help himself, he cracked up laughing. Kakashi used the opportunity to pull him a little closer to his side and dip his head to inhale the scent of the silky dark hair.

Kakashi didn't even have to tell the uniformed elevator operator which floor to press, the man just seemed to automatically know and pushed the button for the 29th floor. There were 30 floors in the building.

"That Matherson guy must be pitching a fit right now," the teacher chuckled. "We just bloodied his floor."

Iruka deliberately spoke in Japanese so the staff member would not understand what they were saying about his boss. It wouldn't do to give the man information that could lead to troublesome gossip.

Kakashi made a mildly annoyed humming sound. "Ignore how he acted earlier. I will speak with him about his prejudice when I see him tomorrow."

"Meh," Iruka waved a dismissive hand, "I'm used to it. You'll be amazed at how many people look down on the teaching profession unless you're a prestigious private school sensei. Besides, I think he was actually trying to get rid of me because you were there.

"Hm?"

"Seriously, you must be one hell of a regular if the manager fawns over you like that. I think he was embarrassed for you to see someone like me in his hotel, like it would displease you or lower the quality of the joint in your eyes." Iruka let out a laugh. "I swear, if you bent over he'd happily lick your arse."

Kakashi shuddered. "Thank you for that lovely mental image," he muttered.

"No problem." Iruka grinned up at the taller man.

Kakashi really was very tall; the top of Iruka's head only barely reached half way up the long, pale neck. His height combined with the broad and muscular physique was really intimidating and ridiculously sexy. Iruka couldn't help but feel small every time he was with the man. While it was arousing, it was also threatening. He was very much aware of how strong and fast the large male was and a part of him was constantly wary whenever he was so close. A part of his mind always watched for any action that could be threatening.

Another _ding_ from the elevator announced their arrival at the 29th floor. The doors opened and the uniformed man bowed respectfully as they exited.

"Shit, that contraption's fast. I don't think I've ever been in such a quick lift," Iruka said impressed as they exited.

The area they walked into was very strange, rather than the expected corridor of multiple doors leading into different rooms there was a lounge area. A couple of coffee tables surrounded by comfortable chairs, a selection of the most recent newspapers and glossy magazines were available for guest use along with a large flat screen television. Wide windows at either end of the area flooded the room with light and a small bar sat against the same wall as the elevator to allow for drinks to be made. An array of spirits, wine, and glasses were available for use. Decorative plants and abstract artwork finished the look, making the area a place where one could fashionably entertain quite a few guests.

Directly across from the elevator stood two large golden doors, the hotels leaf emblem dominating the surface. When Iruka had paused to survey his surroundings Kakashi had politely stopped with him, after the younger man had had time to make a decent inspection they moved toward the double doors. There was an engraved plaque to the left of the doors proclaiming 'Presidential Suite' in flowing lettering, this made Iruka cock an eyebrow. Pulling a card from the pocket of his trousers, Kakashi swiped it over a small golden panel just below the plaque. A click was heard as the locking mechanism deactivated and Kakashi pushed open one of the doors.

Stepping into the room was like stepping into another world. If Iruka had thought that the plane was opulent he'd been sorely mistaken. The plane looked like his house compared to this place. Iruka paused uncertainly in the entry way and just gawked. He hadn't realised he had one leg resting in front of the other with his weight balanced on the back as if he were about to bolt back out the door until Kakashi stepped up behind him and placed large hands on his shoulders.

"Don't even think about running away before you've at least had a look around," the older man said with amusement obvious in his voice. "Come on, I'll give you the grand tour."

The tour blew Iruka's mind. There was no TV, instead there was a tucked away theatre room complete with massage chairs, bar, popcorn maker, and projector. A wall had been specially painted for movies to be projected onto it and the room was windowless, purple velvet curtains hanging covering the walls to prevent echoing, or so Kakashi said. The main sitting area was a massive room the size of the orphanage gym, with floor to ceiling windows from end to end. The blinds were remote controlled and came from the ceiling and you could even choose by turning a small knob how densely they blocked out the light, from almost totally transparent to completely dark. Beyond the windows was a wide balcony area with a breathtaking view of the ocean.

The lounge was scattered with black leather couches and armchairs designed to form intimate sitting areas around low and beautifully carved wood tables. Finishing off the impressive looking area was a black grand piano on a slightly raised dais. A hundred people could mill in the suite comfortably with space to spare. Toward the end of the room was a fully operational, modern kitchen and bar area which was large enough to take up all the space in Iruka's kitchen, lounge/dining room, and laundry in Japan.

Off from the kitchen was a dining room with a massive cherry-wood table and twenty plush black leather dining chairs. The surface of the table was polished to a high gloss finish and inlaid with the vine pattern like the downstairs reception desk. The windows showed a magnificent view of the City and Iruka could just imagine what the lights would look like in a few hours.

At the other end of the massive lounge area, opposite side to the dining setup, were three doors. The first lead to a simple guest bathroom with toilet and sink facilities. The second lead to a fully furnished study complete with a rather fancy and modern looking computer. Kakashi had obviously used this room since he'd arrived as there were some letters and paperwork scattered across the surface of the desk. The last door was a large double set like the entrance way and lead into the bedroom.

_Wow, _was all Iruka could think as he entered.

It was beautiful. The biggest bed he'd ever seen was covered in soft cream and gold silk. The pillows looked high and firm and were also covered in silk. There wasn't a crease in the bedspread and it was obvious someone had gone to great trouble to make the room look perfect. The bed faced large windows curtained with matching cream fabric. There were two plush cream leather armchairs and a low coffee table to the edge of the room and at the very edge, where windows met wall, was a large daybed covered in silk cushions. There was a mirrored vanity table with little cushioned stool and entertainment section with wide screen TV attached to the wall above a cabinet that Iruka had no doubt hid all sorts of electronic gadgets.

At the far end of the room was a large wardrobe with huge sliding mirror doors, reflecting the bedroom. Next to the wardrobe and through another door a bathroom could be seen. The bathroom was more impressive than anything he'd seen even in a catalogue. It also had floor to ceiling windows and a perfect view of the ocean. To one side was a shower enclosure that was the size of Iruka's whole bathroom back in Japan with four showerheads. Next to the shower was a little room with a wooden door that turned out to be a sauna! The basin took up a large area of wall, with four sinks, lots of bench space, and large mirrors. Off in another corner was a door leading to the toilet.

The best thing about the bathroom and the thing that had Iruka gasping aloud, was the huge oval spa bath. It was raised, a bather needing to climb three wide white marble steps. It looked big enough to easily fit five people and Iruka practically drooled over it. He'd always loved big bathtubs and this was the biggest one he'd ever seen! It had golden taps and a golden towel stand nearby with large fluffy white towels.

A grey eye watched the orphanage teacher walk up and touch the porcelain tub in awe. Of all the things he'd shown Iruka since stepping through those ridiculously gilded front doors, this was the first that had truly captured the young man's attention. Kakashi instantly wanted to fill the spa with hot fragrant water, strip that delectable tanned body of its coverings, and watch the scarred nose and cheeks turn pink in the rising steam. He could practically hear the sigh of pleasure the teacher would release as he san into the hot water. A sigh that would quickly turn into a wanton moan once Kakashi got his hands on that tight little body.

Kami, it was so tempting to just walk over there and start ripping off clothes, but Kakashi controlled himself. There would be time for that once the skittish man was more settled. Iruka was a creature of fight or flight when somewhere unfamiliar and the tense set to the slender shoulders showed the teacher was well on edge. As effective as sex was at taking the edge off, there were other ways.

"I'm going to get a drink, what would you like?" he asked, trying to keep his tone casual and hide the lustful edge.

Chocolate eyes turned to him and a pink tongue snuck out to wet full lips quickly before answering. Kakashi really wanted to taste those lips again.

"Ah, just whatever you're having please." Iruka smiled and rubbed at his facial scar nervously before stuffing his hands in his pockets in an obvious attempt to stop fidgeting. "Where are my bags? And where will I be sleeping? There's only one bedroom."

"Your bags will be in the wardrobe and you can sleep where ever you like," Kakashi answered with a smile as he mentally added, _so long as it's in my arms._

The younger man looked happier at that and nodded, the silver haired businessman decided it was time to leave the room before he did something impulsive. He definitely needed a strong drink.

As Kakashi had said, Iruka found his bags in the mirrored wardrobe and was shocked to discover they had been unpacked. His clothes all hung neatly, his underwear and socks tucked into a draw. His dirty clothes were missing and he worried that they'd been taken for washing. How weird the thought of someone else washing his underwear! And how disconcerting having his clothes unpacked in this room. He looked at his few meagre shirts and pants hanging next to Kakashi's much larger and more expensive garments. It was just too strange for words. But, he had to admit that even if he wouldn't be sleeping in here he would have to use the bathroom so it was more convenient. He'd already picked out a comfortable looking couch in an unobtrusive area of the main room to sleep on. He would be out of the way there at least.

Exiting the bedroom, Iruka spied the tall silver haired man standing on the balcony outside. Walking through the door to join him, Kakashi glanced up and indicated a glass containing a generous amount of amber liquid on the outdoor table. Whiskey again.

"This is the most incredible place I've ever seen," Iruka admitted, leaning on the balcony railing next to the large figure. "Everything's so… I don't think I even have a word for it. Opulent, excessive… wow." He chuckled at his inability to express himself and looked over the ocean. "It must be interesting being surrounded by things like this all the time."

Iruka could feel Kakashi's gaze on him and he sincerely hoped he didn't sound like an idiot. Who knew what this wealthy man would think of him being impressed by a place like this. For all Iruka knew, this could be the basics!

"It becomes like anything else in life. You get used to it after awhile and it just becomes part of your existence. People born into money don't even know what it's like to live in your kind of world. While their lifestyle dazzles you, yours would terrify them." The words were spoken in a deep calm voice, but the truth in them made an impact on Iruka.

"You speak as if you know what it's like to be poor," he said quietly. "What was it like for you growing up?"

There was quite a long pause and Iruka began to think he wouldn't get an answer. Their agreement was for him to answer Kakashi's questions after all, not the other way around.

"I was never a child," Kakashi eventually answered.

While that statement would normally seem strange, something in the older man's voice removed all possibility of doubt as to its truthfulness. Iruka watched as the grey eye grew distant and filled with bitterness. Something in his heart ached for the man as that expression crossed the handsome face. It was very obvious Kakashi had experienced pain and Iruka felt terrible for making him remember it. He reached over and placed his hand on the wide back making the grey eye focus again and meet his warm brown. Kakashi drained the rest of his drink and walked over to the table to leave his glass before returning back to the railing. Iruka took another swig of his own amber liquid and passed his glass to the subdued man. A silver eyebrow was raised at him in question.

"You need it more than I do," Iruka echoed Kakashi's words from the plane when he had been spilling his own dark childhood tale.

A pale hand brushed over his skin as the glass was accepted, making his nerve endings tingle. While Kakashi took a drink, a splashing sound and giggle from above had Iruka looking upwards.

"The top floor is a private pool and formal restaurant for VIP guests only. Sounds like some are making use of the facilities. That's why I asked if you like swimming earlier."

"Oh, that sounds exclusive." Iruka smirked, looking up again even though he couldn't see anything and missing the hungry gaze Kakashi directed at his neck. "I don't swim in public though for… well obvious reasons." He finished, ducking his head and blushing.

Long arms wrapped around his waist and warm breath ghosted over his ear causing a tremble to travel down his spine. He knew Kakashi would have felt it too.

"You have nothing to be ashamed of, I happen to think you have a delectable body and I want to take you for dinner up there. I want to listen to you sigh and moan again as you eat. I want to see your skin turn to gold in candle light," the deep voice whispered in his ear as hands stroked over his fabric clad chest and his breathing became heavier. "Then afterward," the hands slipped under his shirt and smoothed up his chest, "I want to swim with you while we look at the city lights."

Teasing finger tips began to circle Iruka's nipples, applying the barest pressure as the talented mouth and tongue slowly explored his ear. Goosebumps broke out over his skin as the hot tongue ran up the shell of his ear and his nipples hardened to nubs as a shudder ran over his body. Still those hands only circled with light fingertips and Iruka found himself arching into their touch, wanting more. Kakashi made an approving hum low in his throat before giving both the nipples a rewarding tug at the same time.

"Oh fuck," Iruka moaned, letting his head fall back so it rested on the taller man's shoulder. He clasped onto the shirt fabric covering Kakashi's upper arms for support.

"Will you come to dinner with me, Iruka?" The question was purred in his ear before the lobe was taken into a hot mouth and nipped with strong teeth.

"S-stop it," Iruka panted.

Kakashi didn't like that and gave the small nipples another tug, earning another satisfying moan for his actions. The smaller man in his arms held on to his shirt tighter as he continued to fight for oxygen.

"Ka-Kakashi, stop it," Iruka panted again a little more forcefully and gave a tug at his sleeves to try and loosen the larger man's hold.

Kakashi didn't want to let go. He wanted to keep touching and caress far more of the delectable little teacher, but he knew that if he didn't stop Iruka would bolt. The man was too skittish and he'd moved too fast. Idiot! If only the younger man wasn't so damn responsive to every little touch.

Summoning up his self control, Kakashi removed his arms from around Iruka, he didn't move completely away though. Instead, he placed his hands on either side of the smaller ones now gripping the rail, not touching but keeping the brunette enclosed in his presence. He waited patiently, knowing the younger man would speak his mind eventually.

"I can't."

Something about the gentle man's tone hit Kakashi right in the gut. It was filled with self loathing and that kind of emotion didn't suit Iruka at all. Even if Kakashi didn't want to molest the teacher at every possible moment, he would still recognise Iruka as an extraordinary and respectable man. Kakashi didn't like him sounding like that, not one bit.

"Can't what, Iruka?" he asked gently, wanting to see those expressive chocolate eyes so he could read what was going on.

He got his wish as Iruka looked at him briefly over his shoulder. The self loathing was there, along with anger, shame, and fear. The older man read it all quickly as the brunette turned away again and took a calming breath. It would seem that Kakashi had done quite a number on this one, seriously messing with the teacher's head, and he found he was feeling quite guilty for it. Now he had to fix it.

"Please," Kakashi said in the gentle tone, "tell me."

"I can't mingle with your crowd. I have nothing suitable… they stare and judge and I'll end up embarrassing myself and… and you. I just can't," Iruka answered, frustration evident in his voice.

"They're not 'my crowd', screw them and their judgements. You'll be there to dine and talk with _me_, they don't matter. If you have nothing to wear I'll buy you something. Borrow one of my shirts if you'd rather," Kakashi said forcefully before softening his voice again. "You could never embarrass me, Iruka. What's the real reason? What's got you so upse-"

"I'm not a whore, Kakashi." The chocolate head dropped forwards and the slender shoulders hunched slightly, as if expecting to be struck for his words and bracing for it. "I won't sleep with you because you paid some bills. If that's what you're expecting I'll leave now and give you the money."

Kakashi regarded the smaller, apprehensive figure for a long moment before dropping his chin onto one of the tensed shoulders, not missing Iruka's flinch at the action.

"I know," he spoke softly next to a tanned ear. "If I thought you would, I'd have never invited you to stay with me. I will never treat you like a whore, Iruka, and I don't want you to feel like one."

He moved his hands closer to Iruka's on the railing and began to stroke the backs of the smaller tanned hands with his thumbs.

"I would have paid those bills and forgotten about the money happily, but I understand why it's important to you and I respect your wish to pay off debts. It shows a lot of independence and self-awareness. That's why I asked for this, for you to come with me; I want to get to know you better. I should have gotten to know you years ago when you first came into Sasuke's life, but I believed he needed to have something separate from the business world. Had I known he'd found such interesting people our paths would have crossed a long time ago." Kakashi lifted his head from the more relaxed shoulder and stopped caressing the tanned hands; he didn't move his arms from bordering the younger man though. "I want you to stay, to have dinner with me and satisfy my curiosity of you. You're an intriguing person, Iruka, and one I want to get to know thoroughly. However, if you want to leave I won't stop you. And I'll not ask for repayment. The hotel's car will take you wherever you want to go."

The only sounds out on the balcony for a long moment were those drifting up from the streets below and the occasional splash from the pool above. Finally, Iruka let go of the railing and turned within the circle of the pale man's arms. He offered up a small smile and Kakashi was pleased to see the angry chagrined edge to the dark eyes was gone. They were still wary but no longer self loathing. Kakashi could wear down the fear and be patient doing it, but he would not have the teacher feeling ashamed. Iruka didn't deserve that. Kakashi had known since Iruka first walked through the door that the best way to make the younger man to stay was to offer for him to leave.

Kakashi tightened his grip on the railing as gentle hands reached up to stroke over his cheeks and moved to thread through the silver hair. With Kakashi slightly bent over, he and Iruka were closer to the same height and they locked gazes. Moving forward, the smaller man pressed his full lips to the older man's thin ones. As on the plane, the kiss started out soft, testing, and nervous. Kakashi controlled himself with an iron will, letting Iruka take complete charge and set the pace no matter how torturous it was not to touch the tanned skin.

The kiss slowly changed into more experimentation; little flicks of a tongue over his lips or a small nip here and there, moving head positions slightly to better fit lips together or pulling away briefly to plant small light pecks. Finally, the nervous tongue pressed past the pale lips and Kakashi opened without having to be asked. Experimentation became exploration. Kakashi's grip tightened further and he had to control his breathing.

The tongues melded together, sliding, caressing, and tasting the other. That curious tongue flicked off briefly to caress other areas of his mouth. There would be a slide up the inside of his cheek before it would retreat back to press against his own tongue for awhile then flitter off quickly to feel along the lower gum and return again. Iruka's hands slid from his hair to his shoulders, using them for support as he became further lost in the kiss. It was heaven and it was hell.

Kakashi wanted to grab Iruka, crush him against his body, and dominate his mouth. The larger male wanted to wrap the smaller man up so tightly he couldn't move and make him moan and cry with pleasure, to scream out his name desperately, flush and writhe with sensation.

Instead, he stood there and allowed the orphanage sensei to have control in his own timid way and that had been much harder to do than it should have. When Iruka's tongue began to retreat but coaxed Kakashi's to follow with little flicking strokes, the older man did so more than willingly. When his tongue was out of his mouth and sliding into Iruka's the younger man suddenly hesitated and he paused too. Just when he was going to draw back, those full lips closed over his tongue and Iruka sucked on it, giving the tip the lightest of nips. Kakashi swore he heard the metal railing under his grip groan in protest as he fought hard to maintain control.

With a final, innocent press of lips the smaller man pulled back and dropped his hands from the broad shoulders. The scarred nose and cheeks were flushed darkly with arousal and embarrassment as Iruka offered up a shy smile, rubbing nervously at his scar.

"Thank you," he said quietly. "I'll stay and, um, come for dinner."

Kakashi closed his eye and nodded at the younger man's decision. "You'd best go have a shower. We'll have to head up soon if we want to catch the sunset." His voice sounded incredibly husky.

"Ok."

He felt Iruka duck under his arm and listened as the light foot falls went from paving to carpet. Only after he heard the bedroom door close did he open his eye again and remove his hands from the railing. They hurt from gripping the metal so hard and he winced as the joints protested any movement. The pain was good; it took his attention away from other areas screaming for relief. He curled and flexed his fingers to relieve the stiffness.

That blasted orphanage teacher had no idea how far he was pushing Kakashi's control. No one had ever even come close to testing the boundaries of his sexual patience before, but that walking and smiling temptation had done it with one inexperienced kiss. Iruka should have left when he had the chance.

The tune of an incoming call snapped Kakashi from his musings and he pulled the slender phone from his pocket.

"Yes?" he answered flatly before smirking when he heard who it was at the other end. "Hey, long time. What's going on?... San Francisco… No shit, what are you doing here? … I see, thanks for the invite but I have, actually you know what? I will come and I'm bringing someone… Hah, only if you want me to break your fingers. Yeah, email me the details and I'll see you tomorrow night. Right, later Genma."

**…**

_I should have left when I had the chance._

The spray from four shower heads hit his body and slowly helped relieve the tension in his muscles. It was so weird being sprayed from all sides instead of just one, nice but weird. He had so desperately wanted to give into temptation and fill up the big tub, but just contented himself with sitting in it fully clothed and marvelling at how large it really was. If he were to fill it up with water it would come all the way up to his collarbones. Ahh that would be bliss. Instead he'd quickly stripped off and stepped into the spacious shower.

While pulling off his clothing, Iruka had finally registered that the beads were still wrapped around his wrist. That damn Kakashi was so ridiculously good at manipulating people it was frightening. The worst part was Iruka _knew_ the older man was a manipulative bastard but couldn't tell when he was being manipulated unless it was blatantly obvious like having his wrist restrained and ear licked in the car. Regardless, he had decided to get to know Kakashi.

The mysterious and wealthy man was Sasuke's mentor and his young moody friend had gone so far as to show Kakashi the respect of calling him sensei. It was a rare thing for Sasuke to show anyone that level of respect; according to Naruto he even called his teachers at school by their family name rather than the respectful title. Naruto had tried to do the same thing and his teachers had stopped that very quickly. Apparently his younger brother hadn't quite pulled off the art form that was an Uchiha glare and therefore couldn't get away with too much insubordination. Not that it had stopped the ball of unending energy from trying repeatedly.

Sighing and resting his head against the shower tiles, Iruka forced down the nausea he felt when thinking about how close he'd come to losing the two boys.

_Men_, he mentally corrected.

Iruka honestly didn't know what would happen if he ever lost Naruto. His little brother had been his whole reason for living for a good portion of his earlier years and Iruka didn't know what he'd do if he ever lost him, if he would be able to cope at all. The idea of losing Naruto _and _Sasuke (just as an added kick to the groin) would be more than he suspected he could bear. Thank Kami it hadn't come to that. He shouldn't think about it. They were both safe and healing and would be 100 per cent alright again in no time. Besides, he had another problem at that moment. A very tall, sexy, and manipulative problem.

Shutting off the shower he quickly dried off with a fluffy towel and pulled off the shower cap he'd used to keep his hair dry. He didn't want to go up to a VIP restaurant with wet hair and it had been washed already that morning. Drying the plastic cap and stuffing it back into its little box, no one need ever know he'd used such a girly contraption. He'd had a moment's pause when trying to decide whether to use it or just blow dry his hair afterwards and decided it was less trouble to just keep it dry in the first place than waste time playing with it afterwards.

Wrapping the towel around his waist, Iruka padded through to the bedroom and slid open the cupboard door. Surveying his clothes for something that looked at least semi-new, let alone appropriate to wear, Iruka came to the conclusion that no matter what he did he would still go up there looking like a poor orphanage teacher.

_Ah, fuck 'em. Who are they to judge me anyway_.

He had just started contemplating whether pants were still considered pants if they had cargo pockets on the legs (they are called cargo pants after all) when the row of large expensive looking shirts drew his gaze. Well, Kakashi had told him to borrow a shirt if he wanted to. Iruka wondered how ridiculous he'd look in one of them, probably like a kid playing dress up in his father's clothes.

Reaching out and fingering the silky material of a deep scarlet shirt, the teacher gave into humorous temptation and pulled it off the hanger. Dropping the towel so the hem of the shirt didn't get damp, he pulled it on and buttoned up. Stepping in front of the mirror and surveying his appearance, Iruka burst into a fit of laughter. Oh yeah, he looked like a kid playing dress up. The shirt hung halfway down his thighs and the sleaves fell over his hands. Even with the cuffs buttoned, he had pulled them over his hands with no problem. The shoulder edges sat almost half way down his biceps and the effect of ridiculousness was only emphasised by his loose hair. Naruto was right; he did look a lot younger with his hair down.

The sound of the bedroom door handle turning had him whirling on the spot with eyes wide and an embarrassed flush rising to his cheeks. As the door opened, a couple of knocks were rapped on the wood and Kakashi's voice drifted through the opening.

"Iruka? I just had a call… from…"

Kakashi froze in the opened doorway, one hand on the knob and his single grey eye locked on Iruka's figure. The expression on that handsome face was completely unreadable. It was such a mortifying situation!

_Oh shit, fuck, shit! I shouldn't have put on his shirt. Crap, I can't tell if he's angry or just shocked. How does he keep all that emotion from his face? I'd better diffuse this situation fast._

"Hi," he started with a nervous laugh. "Umm, you said I could borrow one of your shirts so I'm… I'm just being an idiot." He chuckled and scratched the back of his head sheepishly, not realising the picture he made as one sleave fell down to his elbow and the shirt hem lifted slightly up one honey toned thigh.

Panic shot through Iruka's system as the large figure by the door suddenly stalked lithely into the room at a frighteningly fast pace and tore the silk wrap from his left eye. Iruka backed up a step and held his hands up to try and ward off the approaching man.

"Wait! I'm sorry!"

Everything happened so incredibly fast; his wrists were caught, crossed, and pinned above his head to the mirror a few inches behind him with one strong hand. The shocked teacher's body followed the momentum and thumped back into the reflective surface as the other pale hand hooked around the back of his neck, long fingers tangling in silky hair and tilted his face upward. All this happened in the time it took for Iruka to gasp and he didn't even get to finish doing that before pale lips fastened over his and a tongue slid aggressively into his mouth. A knee and muscular thigh forced its way between his legs, further trapping him against the cold surface as wide chocolate eyes stared shocked into dangerously narrowed grey and red.

Kakashi drank from him. There was no space inside his mouth that wasn't caressed and claimed. Iurka felt his eyes flutter closed and he couldn't help but return the kiss. It was too intense, scattering all thought to the wind and leaving a swirling pool of excited desire and confused fear in its stead.

Iruka knew he was moaning, he could hear it mixed with his ragged breaths as he tried to pull enough oxygen in through his nose. Oh Kami, Kakashi was such an incredible kisser. If the difference between their experience levels hadn't been obvious before this would have made the situation very clear. The taller man was all confidence and skill; he knew what he wanted and how to get it and Iruka could only try and maintain his footing while flailing to keep up. Damn it, he just couldn't get enough air!

The mouth suddenly pulled back from his and he sucked in a huge lungful of oxygen that was rapidly released in a breathy groan as strong teeth caught the skin of his neck. A shudder ran through his whole body when the skin was sucked and licked. His head was mush, his body pinned, and this throat seemed to be making all manner of wanton noises without his permission.

The hand buried in the younger man's hair ran down his chest to take hold of a hardened nipple through the silky fabric and roll it between forefinger and thumb. Iruka arched toward the touch with a strangled moan and succumbed to another shudder when teeth latched onto his hammering pulse point. The pale hand dropped lower, smoothing over his waist and hip, down his outer thigh to rest on the honey skin just below the hem of the shirt.

"Iruka," that deep, husky voice spoke in his ear, "you'd better be wearing underwear."

Iruka could only summon up a helpless whimper and blush bright red as that hand began to move its way up his skin, slipping under the shirt. It encountered no barrier as it travelled and reached the curve of his backside. A deep growl and the tightening of the grip on his wrists had Iruka opening dazed eyes to find Kakashi looming over him, his incredible mismatched gaze locked on his flushed face. Those eyes held an almost animalistic lust and the warning bells in Iruka's head gave up their clanging as the truth became clear.

_Oh, I am so very screwed._

What could he have done to push this powerful and usually perfectly controlled man so far?

"I'm sorry," the pinned man panted before whimpering and closing his eyes again Kakashi's large hand squeezed his backside and gently dug in blunt nails.

"So damn responsive," was the haggard reply before his mouth was kissed roughly.

Kakashi's hand kneaded and explored the firm flesh of Iruka's backside as his tongue lapped at the younger man's mouth. That taste was so fucking addictive. The whole tight little body was so fucking addictive. He wanted to caress and taste, mark and claim every inch of skin. He wanted it all and he wanted to hear Iruka's warm voice crying out in pleasure, enjoying every minute of being taken.

The pale hand travelled over the tanned skin and Kakashi revelled in its smooth texture. Driven by the want to touch more he slid a finger into the crevice between cheeks and stroked the sensitive skin. This action had a rather unexpected result. Iruka snapped his eyes open and pull out of the kiss with an extremely distressed sound. The smaller man jerked his body forwards away from the exploring hand only to be stopped by the thigh between his legs. He gasped as his erection brushed against Kakashi's leg and shot backward again slamming his hips, back, and head into the mirror.

"Let go!" he commanded in a surprisingly biting tone and yanked on trapped arms so hard that Kakashi knew it would have hurt the slender wrists in his grip.

The larger male released Iruka immediately, stepping back but not away. Furious dark eyes glared into his and Kakashi couldn't help but find Iruka incredibly beautiful at that moment. The tanned skin clad only in his shirt was flushed with arousal, the youthful face set in an expression of pure determination, and expressive eyes flashed dangerously. Iruka had unconsciously set his feet into a fighting stance and the recently released hands were clenched into fists and hovering around hip level, not openly threatening but transmitting the message that the orphanage sensei was ready to fight. Damn, Kakashi loved that fire! It just made him want to jump the younger man all the more.

Instead, the taller man kept his distance and forced his body not to automatically shift into a fighting stance as well. Kakashi had no doubts that he could handle what ever attacks the smaller man directed at him from a relaxed position and he didn't want Iruka feeling any more threatened than he obviously already did. Kakashi felt like an idiot. Grabbing the younger man like that was likely the worst possible thing he could have done given their situation. He needed Iruka to be relaxed around him, not panicked to the point that the younger man was prepared to try and fight him. Damn it all to hell, the gentle teacher had just been too desirable.

"Iruka, I'm-"

"What the _fuck_ makes you think you can do that just because I tried on a goddamn shirt?" Iruka growled at him.

Kakashi's head cocked to the side slightly and he knew his confusion showed on his face. Iruka thought this was all because he tried on a shirt? What the hell? The angry young man either didn't notice his confusion or chose to ignore it.

"You have no right to do that! You have no fucking right to trap me like that!" This time it was almost yelled, the voice pitched from anger and fright.

All the confused pieces fell into place with startling clarity and Kakashi gave himself a mental kick in the arse. The image of Iruka's scarred back flashed through his mind clear and strong. Pinning a person who associated being trapped with pain and torture was the _stupidest_ thing he could have done, regardless of the fact that he was trying to give him pleasure. Kakashi had approached the whole situation in completely the wrong way. No wonder Iruka had fought him every time except for the plane where he'd let the teacher have his freedom until the very end. The most forward the younger man had ever been with him was on the balcony when he'd offered the skittish man his freedom and restrained himself from doing exactly what Iruka didn't want him to! This situation had always been coming and Kakashi should have seen it a long time ago.

_Genius my muscular butt! I'm an idiot._

The older man backed off another step and watched as a tiny amount of tension left the slender shoulders with the increased distance and Kakashi's obvious acceptance of Iruka's right to say 'no'.

"You are absolutely right," Kakashi said in the gentle tone he seemed to have developed for Iruka alone. He couldn't remember ever giving enough of a shit to spare anyone else's feelings like he did with this man but the sensei was a special case. "I've been an idiot and behaved abysmally. I'm very sorry, Iruka."

The younger man's face went from furious determination to wary confusion.

"Huh?" Iruka asked intelligently, obviously not having anticipated this reaction.

Kakashi couldn't help but smile internally at the man's ability to switch emotions so quickly and show them all clearly on his expressive face. He decided to back off just a little further and put himself in a completely non-threatening position. Taking another couple of steps back, the older man sat on the bed with his hands placed clearly in sight on his knees. He sighed in relief when Iruka's hands unclenched and the smaller body straightened out of the defensive fighting stance. Wariness was still evident in the dark eyes, but Kakashi expected that. In fact, he would have considered Iruka a fool if he wasn't still distrustful.

"You're right, I shouldn't have pinned you like that. It was unfair and aggressive of me. I'm sorry, very sorry," Kakashi said with sincerity.

The dark eyebrows dipped and brown eyes narrowed in suspicious confusion. "Are you manipulating me again?"

Kakashi couldn't help but let out a bark of laughter at the question, it was brutally honest and well deserved. Holding up a hand and grinning, the older man shook his head.

"No, I'm not." Well, he was but it was for the right reasons this time at least. "Please, come sit down and let's talk."

Iruka looked at the bed and back at the older man with an eyebrow raised sceptically. Kakashi had to concede that that look was also deserved.

"I promise that I won't touch you without your permission. I give you my word."

Iruka studied the pale, handsome features and decided that Kakashi was being sincere. Reaching behind him, he quickly grabbed a pair of his well worn jeans and pulled them on, noting that Kakashi politely averted his gaze so he could zip and button up in relative privacy. This was a personality he'd not seen in the mysterious man before and Iruka wasn't sure what to make of it yet.

Walking across the floor and dropping onto the bed, one leg tucked under him automatically in a partially comfortable, partially defensive fashion. The mismatched eyes turned back to him and Iruka could clearly read the apology and regret in their depths. Iruka had always believed that eyes were the window to the soul and Kakashi's was obviously very sorry at that moment, making Iruka feel a bit badly for him.

"It's alright," Iruka said, not able to summon up a smile but losing the previous hardness to his features. "Thank you for releasing me. If I'd known putting this on," he plucked at the deep scarlet fabric, "would upset you so much I'd have never done it."

Something almost sympathetic flashed through the incredible mismatched eyes and the silver haired man leaned forward to rest elbows on knees.

"I wasn't upset, not at all. I was, still am, aroused. You look incredibly sexy in my shirt you know." Kakashi watched as Iruka flushed shyly before continuing. "What just happened wasn't in any way a punishment for wearing the shirt… if anything it was supposed to be a reward."

Iruka looked at him in obvious confusion. "I don't understand?"

_Oh Kami, he's been more screwed over than I thought. _

Kakashi just wanted to give him a hug… then go and destroy the people who had done this to him. He wondered vaguely which institution that Orochimaru was at and if Kabuto had survived. Right at that moment, however, he had to deal with the incredibly hot and insecure man sitting next to him. But, how to do it delicately?

"I'm a rather controlling person," Kakashi started off and was happy to see a tiny ironic smile twitch on the delicious full lips. "Because of that, I tend to be a bit aggressive when I want something and I _really_ want you." Denial flashed through the brown eyes and Kakashi reached out slowly to place a hand on the younger man's shoulder before remembering his promise and retracted it back to his lap. "I do, Iruka, very much. This is why I've been grabbing at you since we met, but with your childhood trauma it was the stupidest thing I could have possibly done."

Iruka drew his other leg onto the bed, sitting cross legged on the cream silk and backed by a mound of fluffy pillows. Damn, he looked gorgeous like that, his silky chocolate hair pushed back behind ears by a slender impatient hand. The dark eyes were focused on him with total concentration and Kakashi couldn't help but think of how young and vulnerable this person was. He was so incredibly strong and determined when dealing with everyday problems but became a confused mess the moment anything sexual was thrown into the mix. It greatly disturbed Kakashi to think that every time he'd forcefully touched or kissed the teacher Iruka had thought it was a bizarre new form of punishment.

"All those times I was forceful with you, it wasn't to hurt or some form of retribution. It's because I can't keep my hands off you." Iruka blushed and his eyes became a little wider. "I did those things because I want you and I've just been too stupid to go about it in the right way. I'm sorry I've been so aggressive with you and I promise I won't trap you anymore… unless you ask me to." Kakashi gave a tiny smirk and Iruka's blush darkened.

"Idiot," the smaller man mumbled.

Kakashi just smiled at him in that gentle way he'd discovered since meeting the interesting man at the airport. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been so open with someone or put so much effort into another's feelings. There was definitely something very special about this person. He'd known it since the first time he'd seen Iruka trying to argue his way onto a flight, all impassioned and full of determination. Kakashi had instantly wanted to touch, so he had hooked his arm around those tensed shoulders and thought how nice the warmth emanating from that smaller body felt. If he'd realised that touching Iruka would become such an addiction, he might not have given into temptation in the first place. Mah, who was he kidding? Of course he would have.

"I'm sorry," Iruka said quietly into the silence, raising a hand to rub at his scar. "I was going to hit you just before, but you backed off too quickly." A small sheepish grin rose on his face. "You're very quick."

"Don't worry about it," Kakashi said before adding cheekily, "I doubt you would have gotten a hit in anyway."

"Ass."

The older man just gave a low chuckle.

"I didn't hate it you know," Iruka continued, rubbing at his scar again uncomfortably. "I just didn't understand it. I wanted to fight it but it still felt good and I wasn't sure what to do."

The silver head nodded its understanding and Iruka suddenly felt brave. This man had given him more understanding, help, and kindness then anyone in a long, long time. He was gorgeous, patient, intelligent, and surprisingly persistent. He had his bad points too, but what person didn't? If he kept his word and wasn't aggressive with him anymore, Iruka believed he could like Kakashi very much too.

Leaning forward and shifting so he was on hands and knees, Iruka moved toward the surprised handsome man and gently pressed their lips together.

"That feels better," Iruka said as he leaned back a little.

Knowing he wouldn't be rejected and that Kakashi genuinely understood not to pin him again, Iruka felt bolder. He leant forward and pressed his lips again, shifting his legs under him so he could sit on them and cupped the pale face in his hands. This kiss was different from all the others before. Iruka was more confident in the knowledge that he didn't need to fear that the situation would turn into another bizarre form of punishment.

Kakashi shifted his body to face the teacher, contenting himself to place a hand on a slender hip while the other reached up to card through long hair and lightly caress the back of the tanned neck. This was different. Normally when he slept with someone it was a whirlwind of shed clothes and a hard pounding between sheets before they showered and left. His bed partners never spent the night, and if they tried to Kakashi had always be able to talk them out the door. He'd never had a situation where he wanted the other person to stay, let alone wanted to hold them through the dark hours. What was this man doing to him?

Their positions were awkward and soon Kakashi was coaxing Iruka onto his lap with little tugs. The younger man didn't have any objections, breaking the kiss to straddle strong thighs and crossing his ankles on the bed behind Kakashi's back, encircling the taller figure with his legs.

"Am I heavy?" Iruka asked, smoothing some soft silver strands back from the remarkable red eye.

Kakashi chuckled and turned to brush his lips against the inside of the tanned wrist. "Don't be silly."

Their lips met again, tongues renewing their acquaintance. Strong arms wrapped around the slender torso, warm hands running over Iruka's back and sliding the silky shirt over old scars. The younger man moaned in appreciation and Kakashi deepened the kiss. Tanned hands tangled in silver hair and smoothed across broad shoulders, kneading the muscles and tracing their outline.

Pulling back slightly, Iruka brushed his lips over the thin pair briefly before moving his mouth to the long scar. He licked and kissed the vertical mark, slowly making his way from bottom to top.

"You're the only one who's ever wanted to see what's under the wrap," Kakashi murmured into the tanned jaw, running his tongue over the smooth skin and enjoying the younger man's warm breath as he sighed at the motion. "Everyone else was always too scared to see what's underneath."

"I like it," Iruka replied, reaching the top of the scar with a final kiss and leaning back to marvel at the red eye that opened to look at him. "It suits you. It is you." He smiled warmly and watched as something almost needy flashed through the crimson depths.

Those full lips dropped and began caressing the long pale neck, Kakashi tilting his head slightly to give the shorter man more access. He drew in a slow, deep breath when the hands left his hair and slid down to his shirt front. The tanned fingers hesitated on the first button, unsure if this was allowed. He turned his head and nipped at Iruka's neck in encouragement, almost moaning when those fingers flicked open the first button.

The wine coloured shirt was finally undone and Iruka revelled in the feel of the defined muscles under his fingertips as he slipped his hands inside. The pale skin was so warm and would occasionally quiver beneath his touch as a little sigh escaped the older man's lips. Iruka lightly ran his palms up the strong abdominal muscles, over the defined pectorals, and onto the broad shoulders, pushing the fabric off them. Kakashi released his hold around Iruka's body and moved his arms back so those gentle hands could brush down them, removing the red shirt to fall forgotten on the bed behind him.

The hot lips moved from his neck to kiss and lick slowly across one pale shoulder, causing small tremors to travel over Kakashi's skin and the older man brushed his fingers over the sensitive scar on Iruka's back making the teacher gasp. Iruka wrapped his arms around Kakashi's chest and traced the muscles of the broad back. How a person could be so incredibly defined and beautifully proportioned he would never know. Kakashi was flawless, the more he touched him the more he realised it to be true. There were scars here and there but they just showed the silver haired man had lead an active life. It only enhanced his appearance instead of tarnishing it.

Opening his eyes as he reached the end of the shoulder and nibbled on the smooth skin, Iruka saw something he hadn't noticed on the plane. A tattoo, and a design he'd never seen before. It was surprisingly sexy. He shifted a hand from the back to trace the tattoo with his fingers, sliding his other hand back to the firm chest. Giving into temptation, the dark head dipped and his tongue brushed against inked skin. The wet organ traced the swirling line before following the tail upward and lowering back down to trace the second line bordering the first and trailing downward. At the same time, Iruka unconsciously rubbed fingers over a pale pink nipple. Kakashi's grip tightened on him as a deep moan flowed from the older man's throat.

"Damn it, Iruka."

The orphanage sensei was surprising him again, just as he had on the plane with his curious gentle touches. When Iruka wasn't feeling threatened he was inquisitive and attentive, caressing and exploring everything he could with hands and mouth. It was driving Kakashi up the wall and that hot little mouth had barely moved past his shoulders. It was torture going so slowly with the younger man taking his sweet time, but it was a torture Kakashi wouldn't rush for the world. He moved his own hands to the front of the scarlet shirt and quickly undid the buttons. The teacher had had his fun, now it was his turn.

Iruka gasped as warm hands ran up his ribs and thumbs brushed over hardening dusky nipples. He'd not even noticed that Kakashi had unbuttoned his shirt; however, he was well aware of the fact now those nimble digits were making a thorough inspection of his flushing skin. Unlike him, who had to touch and experiment to find out what was good for his partner, Kakashi already seemed to know. Those expert hands caressed, stroked, and manipulated his skin in a way that left him completely mindless and moaning. Gentle teeth nibbled down his neck and across collar bones before a hot tongue lapped its way down to his sensitive nipples.

One of the hardened nubs was circled with that wicked tongue before it was taken into the warm, wet cavern. Iruka let out a strangled groan as teeth closed over it and gently nibbled, the tongue back to sooth the skin for a moment before repeating the process. His other nipple was rolled and tugged by slightly calloused fingers as the other pale hand caressed randomly over any bare skin it could find. The new and startling sensations had the younger man arching his back and grinding into the hips he was straddling. Kakashi's groan of pleasure was only slightly lower than his as their erections rubbed against restricting fabric and the older man couldn't take it any more.

The world spun and Iruka gasped in surprise, suddenly finding himself lying on his back with Kakashi kneeling between his legs and dipping a tongue into his naval. The older man made sure not to impede the orphanage sensei's arms in any way, showing he'd taken to heart their conversation about no longer trapping the smaller male.

_No normal person should be able to move that fast_!

Iruka knew the fuzzy voice had a point but just couldn't focus on it right now, tucking it away for later perusal.

The silver head lifted and lips met again as a cream fabric covered thigh pressed against the denim covered crotch. The kiss was broken as Iruka released a wanton sound, something that started out as a keen and ended in a breathless cry. Oh, Kakashi liked that sound very much.

"I have to touch you," he whispered huskily into the tanned neck as his hands undid the jeans fastenings. "Damn it, Iruka, I have to taste you."

An arm slid under Iruka's hips and raised them as Kakashi used his other hand to tug off the faded jeans. The teacher gasped as his erection was freed from the constraining fabric to brush against the pale muscled chest. Left only in the open scarlet shirt, Iruka felt his whole body blush as the jeans were pulled completely away, dropped to the floor, and forgotten.

Kakashi stood at the edge of the bed, his hands resting on tanned feet as his mismatched eyes memorised every inch of skin exposed to his view. The long coltish legs were subtle but strong, leading up to narrow hips bordering an exquisite display of aroused and blushing male genitalia. The finely muscled stomach and chest were very lean and bordering on skinny but not unhealthy. Thin arms were hidden by the scarlet material but the curved collar bones, shoulders, and long neck were in full view, silky dark hair brushing over them in its own caress. Finally, that stunning and expressive face. Soft lips parted and panting, the scarred nose and cheeks heated with a blush, dark eyes dazed with lust and a hint of nervousness. All that glorious honey coloured skin glowed with a flush of arousal and Kakashi wanted to fall to his knees and worship it all with his hands and mouth.

"Beautiful."

The blush darkened on his cheeks when the stunning man before him whispered that one word. It was the clear sincerity in those glorious unusual eyes that convinced him Kakashi meant it; the way the older man was looking at him with something akin to reverence was almost heart stopping. The elegant pale hands smoothed down his feet and began to journey up his legs. They caressed over his erection in a painfully light touch as the bed dipped and Kakashi came to rest between his legs. Iruka watched with wide eyes as the sliver head dipped forwards and a hot tongue ran up the underneath of his shaft. He sucked in a large lungful of air when the tongue pressed into the slit at the top, taking the drops of precum before swirling over the highly sensitised head.

"Kakashi," he panted as his head fell back, eyes closing and a shudder running through his body. "Please. Please Kakashi."

The grip on his hips tightened as his breathless words were uttered and he thought he heard a deep groan from the paler man, but all this became insignificant when his whole aching length was swallowed.

"Aaahhhh!" there was no hand clamping over his mouth to mute his loud cry this time as that sinful mouth set to work. His voice echoed around the room.

Kakashi couldn't take his eyes off the erotic scene of Iruka writhing in mindless pleasure beneath his touch. The sounds coming from those full lips went directly to his already throbbing groin and Kakashi wondered if he might reach peak just from the visual stimulation alone. He almost didn't want Iruka to orgasm, wanting the spectacle of total abandonment to last for as long as possible. He so desperately wanted to reach into the side draw and pull out the small tube inside, slick his fingers and drive them into the tight heat he knew awaited, but he restrained himself.

The teacher had been through an emotional roller-coaster of a day already and Kakashi didn't want to take his virginity while so vulnerable. It would just lead to problems later and something told him he would be craving this responsive body for quite some time yet. Better to draw out the pleasure than take it all in one hit and risk resentment. As he felt the hardness in his mouth almost solidify and the lithe body arched off the bed with a ragged groan, Kakashi pulled back and blew lightly on the saliva coated head holding the younger man on the edge. Iruka's whole frame was tensed and trembling but he didn't come. No, Kakashi wouldn't let him yet. He'd not had enough of the show.

Hot lips kissed the inside of his thigh as Iruka began to recede from the brink of orgasm in dazed confusion. He looked down with clouded eyes to find a mismatched pair watching him with burning intensity.

"K-KakaAahhh!" The questioning name turned into a surprised cry as a strong finger pressed and massaged an area of skin between his scrotum and anus.

_Holy shit! What the hell?_

He felt an indescribable pressure deep within his pelvis and it was strangely pleasurable. Not enough to bring him to completion, but it had him squirming on the bedspread in confused enjoyment while gripping tightly to the pale hand still holding his hip.

"Do you like that, Iruka?" Kakashi's asked his voice deep and smooth.

"I… I d-don't know," the confused brunette answered truthfully, ending in a small and embarrassing whimper as the finger pressed against the unexpected pressure point a little harder.

"Hmmm… perhaps like this then."

The hot mouth was back around his erection and Iruka felt like he was going to fly out of his skin. He could hear loud sounds and had no idea they were his own cries and moans of pleasure. Oh Kami, he was building up so quickly this time. It was almost too much, moisture gathering in the corners of his eyes from the over stimulation. His whole body raced for release and he felt the intense build up in his groin. When he'd almost reached the edge, his back arched again and a ragged curse broke from his lips.

"Fuuuck… Kakashi!"

Just like last time, the older man pulled back at the last moment, moving away completely and taking his warmth with him. Something that almost sounded like a choked sob broke from Iruka's throat as struggled to understand why he'd been left hanging and tried to wipe the frustrating moisture from his eyes. Large hands were back quickly, stroking over his heated chest and face. His arms were filled with a warm body and Iruka clung tightly. The pale skin felt so good under his hands, the muscles shifting and tensing at his touch.

"I just can't get enough of watching you. You have no idea how sexy you are, how erotic," Kakashi purred in his ear. "This time. This time, I promise."

Strong hands gasped his thighs and they rolled. Iruka found himself once again straddling Kakashi's hips, looking down at the incredibly toned body lying beneath him. Their erections brushed and the teacher couldn't stop himself from grinding them together, pressing down to increase the friction and pressure. He watched through heavy lidded eyes as Kakashi moaned and bucked his hips up. Iruka repeated the process, enjoying how the older man's breathing became ragged and a flush dusted across the pale cheeks.

There was a clicking sound and Iruka watched in surprise as Kakashi held a tube of lubricant, squeezing a decent amount into his long fingers before reaching between them and grasping his own erection. Iruka froze and a hand flew to his mouth in shocked arousal. He couldn't breathe as he watched the gorgeous man rub the clear substance over his large shaft before turning mismatched eyes up to meet very wide and shocked brown.

The older man unexpectedly let out a deep rumble of laughter and reached out with his un-lubricated hand to take the tanned one Iruka had pressed to his mouth. He brought the smaller hand down to his lips and kissed the palm. At the same time as the coated pale hand wrapped around Iruka's darker erection, two of his fingers were sucked into that sinfully talented mouth. Iruka let out a loud moan and dug the blunt nails of his other hand into the hard muscle of Kakashi's pectoral. He was pulled down for a searing kiss as both painfully hard members were firmly grasped together and the strong hand surrounding them began to move.

Iruka completely lost his coherency. He thrust his tongue into Kakashi's mouth before breaking the kiss and latching his teeth onto a pale shoulder. Kakashi let out a loud groan and thrust up into his own hand and Iruka's erection.

"Oh fuck!" the older man hissed out and moved his other hand to pinch and roll a tight dusky nipple.

At the double stimulation, a loud moan broke from Iruka lips and he released the patch of pale skin to push up onto trembling arms. He couldn't stop himself from bucking into that hot grip and sliding further against Kakashi's shaft. Thrusting his hips, skin flushed, eyes slightly open yet sightless, and dark hair in tussled disarray Iruka had no idea how crazy he was driving the male below him watching his every movement with almost obsession. The red shirt had fallen from his shoulders to hang around his elbows and further add to the older man's viewing pleasure. God damn, Iruka looked good in his shirt!

They were both reaching their limit and it was no surprise when Iruka hit it first. Tanned fingers grasped broad shoulders with a strength they didn't usually possess, his breathing became broken, and his back arched as his head tipped back. Kakashi found himself enthralled at the expression of pure helpless _need_ that crossed Iruka's flushed face. A great shudder ran through the slender frame and dark eyes closed against the onslaught.

Iruka came with a feral cry of abandon that held Kakashi's name as powerful pulses racked his system and his seed coated the pale hand and chest. Kakashi found his release less than a second later when he heard his name cried out by the straining man above. He came while watching the younger man's experience through dazed, half closed eyes as spasms ran through his own body and his seed joined Iruka's. Jerking his hips through the sensations and shuddering as he finally slowed his hand when the man above finished his release.

Exhausted and completely spent, all the strength left the tanned body and Iruka's elbows buckled as gravity pulled him forwards. A large hand pressed against his breastbone and stopped his decent, preventing him from falling into the mess on the older man's chest and stomach below. He was eased to the side and limply fell to the soft bed without protest, panting in much needed oxygen and marvelling at how his body almost vibrated with the afterglow of orgasm. Lips pressed to his slightly damp brow briefly before the weight on the bed next to him left and the sound of running water drifted in from the bathroom. Iruka's body refused to move and he lay content and sated on the cream and gold silk.

The blankets shifted and mattress dipped again as strong arms wrapped around his body and moved him. Iruka cracked open an eye to see a large expanse of pale skin very close and lifted his hand to smooth over it, still marvelling at the texture and earning a satisfied hum from somewhere above. The scarlet shirt, which had started the entire thing was finally stripped away and tossed onto the floor. Iruka experienced a moment of embarrassment when he realised his back was completely exposed but a shushing noise from Kakashi and a kiss to his shoulder convinced him to let it go for the moment.

They settled with Kakashi reclining against a mound of pillows with Iruka tucked into his side, boneless and half sprawled on top of him, sighing in satisfaction and making the older man's lips tilt contentedly. Just a soft sheet covered them as they cooled from their heated activities and Iruka couldn't remember a time he'd been more comfortable or satiated.

"Go to sleep," Kakashi coaxed, starting to run fingers through his tussled hair.

"Mmm, just for a little," Iruka slurred tiredly and pressed his lips to Kakashi's skin. "Then food."

There was a deep chuckle. "Agreed."

Iruka dropped off almost instantly, his breathing becoming deep and regular, his body completely limp. Kakashi, however, was mentally replaying what had just happened and shaking his head in amazement. Who knew the reserved sensei could be such a little hell-cat in bed! He brushed fingers over the mark on his shoulder where Iruka had bitten him and then sucked the skin. The teeth hadn't broken the skin of course, the teacher was still far too gentle for that, but he had managed to form one hell of a mark that had just about driven him over the edge before the younger man.

Normally, at this stage he would be planning on how to leave or how to shoo the other person out the door. At that moment, however, he was strangely content just to sit and hold the younger man as he reclined and allowed his mind to mull over the situation. Looking down at the smaller figure, his eyes travelled over the disturbing display of scars visible in Iruka's sleeping position and his eyes narrowed in anger. How did someone who was tortured so horribly turn out to be this incredibly kind and gentle? The teacher really was a rare specimen.

He smoothed his hand lightly over the scarred skin but stopped quickly – switching back to running fingers through the dark hair – when Iruka frowned and pressed further into him, away from the hand.

One day he would stroke Iruka's back and the teacher would feel secure enough to know he wasn't being attacked. To know, even subconsciously when asleep, that he was safe with Kakashi. That would make Kakashi happy and it was almost worrying how much he wanted it. He always got what he wanted.

Right at that moment, he wanted to hold Iruka and think, but in an hour or so he wanted to eat. He no longer felt like going up to the restaurant and sitting with the other VIP's, which mostly consisted of empty headed models, dull businesspeople, and demanding actors. It was a much better idea to sit in private and keep this refreshing new person all to himself. He would show Iruka the restaurant for breakfast. Decision made, Kakashi reached for the phone next to the bed and dialled 1, listened to it ring only once before being answered.

"_Good evening, Mr. Hatake. How may I help you, sir_?" came the slightly nervous voice of one of the reception women.

Kakashi wondered briefly if they had someone sit and wait for his calls whenever he stayed here. He wouldn't put it past Matherson for that to be the case. Shrugging mentally, he decided he didn't really care. Instead, he just put on his emotionless voice and thought about what the young man sleeping next to him would like to eat.

"Room service please," Kakashi said and smiled as Iruka's scarred nose twitched in his sleep. Adorable.

"_Yes sir! Connecting your call right now, please hold the line for just a moment._"

There was a bit of crappy hold music then an anxious male voice came on the line.

"_Good evening, Mr. Hatake. This is Rigmond, the head chef speaking. What may I serve for you tonight, sir?_"

"Good evening, Rigmond," Kakashi spoke emotionlessly into the phone and could practically hear the nervous swallow on the other end. Sometimes it was just downright entertaining to have the reputation of an evil tyrant. "Before we start talking about dishes for tonight I want make to you aware that my guest has a food allergy. There is to be no bananas in or anywhere near the food I am ordering. That includes cutting boards, knives, and crockery. Understood?"

"_A-absolutely sir! The kitchen shall be b-banana free._"

Kakashi smirked; apparently chefs became poets when nervous.

"Excellent." He lifted a strand of long dark hair and inhaled its fragrance as Iruka slumbered on peacefully. "Now, what do you have that will impress me?"

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**AN: Due to so many readers protesting the term 'brain vomit' being used to describe this story, I have relented and redefined it with a term I believe everyone will find satisfactory.**

**This is now my Cerebral Expulsion fiction.**

**Thank you for reading the expellants of my mind and I hope you enjoyed this latest chapter ^_^**

**Edited in May 2010 because ffnet screwed with my formatting when they upgraded the site (le sigh).**


	5. Night Larks

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I do own this cerebral expulsion though.**

**This chapter was initially betaed by ****ReixGaara and later edited by Meuin. Thanks for your help girls.**

**There is some great fan art to accompany this story. Links can be found in my bio.**

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**AN: Some readers did not heed the last chapter's warning so I hope you will this time. It is recommended that if you suffer from a weak heart or anaemia you consult your doctor before reading ****the second half of this chapter. As always, remove any electronic or easily water damaged items from the 'Drool Zone' and have a box of tissues standing by.**

**It may also interest you to know that the technique**** contained in this chapter does work **_**very well**_** and comes highly recommended by this author ~_^**

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**Stranger Situations**

**Chapter 5: Night Larks**

"Oh my God," Iruka moaned appreciatively around a mouthful of food, lids fluttering half closed as the delectable flavours tantalised his tastebuds. "What is this sauce?"

Barely paying attention to the food he was consuming, Kakashi was far more interested in watching the man across from him eat. It was endlessly entertaining and incredibly arousing. How someone so innocent could make such scandalous sounds when eating was beyond him, but he certainly wasn't complaining. He watched as a pink tongue snuck from its hiding place behind full lips and licked some of the white sauce from the silver fork. Oh, the little teacher man had no idea what he was doing to Kakashi's libido.

"Hollandaise," the older man answered, eyes still watching Iruka's mouth.

Clear brown eyes reflected the candle flame from the centre of the table, making them look almost like dark mirrors as they focused on him.

"How do you say it?" Iruka asked with curious tilt to his head.

Kakashi answered on automatic pilot as he watched the wind pick up and play with long dark strands of hair.

"Hol-lan-daise," he sounded out and watched as the younger man repeated the word, the pink tongue making a reappearance as it said 'lan'.

Spearing something with his fork and taking it into his mouth, Kakashi might as well have been eating cardboard for all the attention he was paying the food. There was only one thing at that table he wanted to taste. A delicious morsel wrapped up in honey skin with dark chocolate hair and eyes, a mocha scar over the small nose, dusky cinnamon nipples, and a flavour so addictive it should be illegal.

_Mmm… dessert_, he decided and his body readily agreed.

It was kind of weird how Kakashi kept watching him so intently, but then the strange silver haired man was always like that. Iruka ran his fingers over his face to make sure there wasn't any food stuck to his skin that would cause such an attentive gaze. He was clean; Kakashi was obviously just in a strange mood again, which, considering the older male was always in a strange mood, meant he was acting normally… which was still strange. Iruka's head was still dealing with all the other bizarre occurrences from the day without worrying about this internal discussion. Better just to let it go and accept the situation for what it was. A strange one.

He'd woken up approximately fifteen minutes earlier when a knock had echoed through the suite and his warm muscular pillow had shifted to go answer it, simply saying in a voice like velvet, "Wake up, Iruka. Food's here."

Iruka had blinked blurry eyes and looked around the room in sleepy confusion before realising that it all hadn't been some crazy, stress induced dream. He was at a ridiculously expensive hotel, in the presidential suite, completely naked, and had Kakashi's scent all over him. The scarlet shirt was still lying on the floor amongst their other clothes and he could even see the prints of his and Kakashi's hands on the mirror where the larger man had pinned him. Needless to say, by this stage the recently awakened teacher was bright red. Burying his head back under the blankets, Iruka decided he was still too dazed to deal with the memories.

His body felt loose and warm and there was a pleasant fuzz over his brain he wasn't too bothered about clearing away. All in all, Iruka decided he felt fantastically sated and relaxed. Peeking from the covers to make sure he wouldn't be caught naked and seeing the bedroom door mostly closed, he rolled out of bed and discovered he was feeling a bit sticky around his groin. At the realisation that it was the lubricant from earlier, Iruka blushed a little deeper and wandered into the bathroom to quickly rinse off. A niggling ache in his lower back had him frowning slightly and stretching carefully. That wasn't good; he'd obviously over done it that day.

One of the carry on effects from so many beatings as a child was his back was in worse shape than just the scars. His muscles and spine had also been badly damaged, even more so after he'd been shot. While Sarutobi had been able to organise for him to have some physiotherapy sessions, they were just too expensive and the damage was never given the treatment it needed. On the wages he had now, with all the other costs of living and still mostly supporting Naruto while his little brother finished his studies, he just couldn't afford to pay for the physio sessions he needed. He would have to take it easy that night.

Entering the bedroom again, the scarred teacher pulled on some underwear, his faded jeans from the floor, and just a plain white t-shirt that was starting to fray around the hem. He didn't bother with shoes or digging another hair tie out of his bag, he seemed to continuously lose them around Kakashi anyway.

Padding out of the bedroom and running a hand through his mussed hair, the other stuffed in his pocket, he spied Kakashi near the front door with a hotly blushing staff member who looked like she was about to faint. Iruka really couldn't blame her. Kakashi was standing there, signing a piece of paper on a document wallet, in nothing but a pair of low-slung black sweat pants. The stunning silver hair flopped down over his left eye to hide it from view and had the carefree tussled look of someone who had just crawled out of bed. His pale and superbly muscled torso was completely bare, the muscles of his arms tensing and shifting minutely as he signed the slip, snapped the document wallet closed, and handed it back to the woman along with her pen.

The staff member gave a sort of jerky, unpractised bow and wheeled the silver trolley from the room hurriedly. Kakashi closed the door and turned to see Iruka watching just as the younger man raised a hand to cover his mouth and gave a mighty yawn, closing his still tired eyes in the process and finishing with a little sleepy sniff at the end. He rubbed at one eye with the heel of his hand and opened the other to see a broad pale chest in front of his nose. Strong arms wrapped around him, warm breath ghosted over his neck as the silver crowned head dipped, and a nose nuzzled his tanned neck.

"You really are adorable when you wake up," the deep, sexy voice chuckled.

Iruka just made a sleepy little humming noise and pressed his forehead to the warm skin before him, raising his hands to rest on the pale hips.

"Shut up. 'm not adorable. I'm a fearsome and kick-arse teacher," he mumbled, still only partially awake. "Now lead me to whatever smells so damn good."

The deep chuckle was slightly louder and vibrated down his skin.

"Yes sensei."

A shudder ran down his spine when Kakashi purred those words into his ear, following them up with a quick nip, and he definitely was feeling a bit more awake. Blushing furiously and pulling back, Iruka cut off mid-embarrassed glower when he saw a rather large and dark mark on Kakashi's shoulder.

"Oh, I didn't!" he exclaimed in horror, hand flying up to his mouth and eyes going wide.

Kakashi stroked elegant fingers over the large hickey and smirked at Iruka smugly.

"Oh, you did."

"Shit, first I scratch up your back and now this. I'm sor-"

Kakashi interrupted him. "Don't be, it was good. Damn good."

Iruka just shook his head and frowned at the older man. "Are you a masochist or something?"

"Only if you're the one punishing me," the silver haired man said, smiling in his unique way with his eyes and making Iruka feel strangely shy.

The arm still around Iruka had nudged him along until they were heading out the door to the balcony and Iruka was greeted with the heavenly sight of a candle lit table heavily laden with sumptuous foods. Iruka looked over the various dishes inhaling their aromas and eyeing the bottle of wine chilling in an ice bucket.

"Are there other people coming to eat with us?" he asked Kakashi while still devouring the food with his eyes.

"Nope, just us," came the deep reply and Iruka thought he felt Kakashi lean over and smell his hair but when he looked up the tall man was standing straight and looking down at him with amusement twinkling in his mismatched gaze. "I want you to eat until you pop."

Iruka laughed. "I think I'm going to pop just looking at it!"

His comment was negated a second later when his stomach released a loud angry growl and Kakashi gave a loud bark of laughter.

"Your stomach seems to feel differently."

And this was how Iruka found himself sitting on the balcony of a presidential suite at a swanky hotel in an expensive area of San Francisco watching the ocean glisten in the moonlight as waves crashed on the shore below. His companion was the most attractive man he'd ever seen, who, as an added bonus, was still half-naked. He was eating a dish that consisted of chicken, sun-dried tomato, and camembert cheese wrapped in phillo pastry and covered in the most heavenly sauce he'd just learned was called 'hollandaise'. Life at that moment was pretty damn unusual to say the least. This was the second best meal he'd ever had in his life. The dinner they'd been served on the plane prepared by Ino's husband was still holding a special place in his heart, but the feast laid before them really was spectacular. The hungry brunette had thought that it wouldn't get any better than the mango and coconut king prawns they'd sampled earlier but this hollandaise sauce really was a thing of joy.

Iruka looked across at Kakashi as the older man leaned over and topped up his wine glass. Oh Kami, that toned body looked so incredible in the glow of candle light. Quickly, the orphanage sensei looked away before he was caught staring. The memories of his earlier boldness swept over him and Iruka couldn't believe he'd done such intimate acts with this imposing man. Kakashi, on the other hand, seemed completely unaffected. He chatted amiably with Iruka about all topics. They'd talked of what was needed in the day-to-day running of an orphanage, various sights to see around San Francisco, and what Naruto and Sasuke's plans were after graduating from University.

Iruka couldn't help but notice that during their conversations Kakashi never gave away anything about himself. The man was still as much a mystery as when they had first met in Tokyo. The only difference now was that he knew the older man's family name, that he was very wealthy, and had a close connection with Sasuke. He also had a suspicion that Kakashi had suffered a hard childhood but there was no story to go with the hunch. In fact, Iruka was only assuming that Kakashi was older than he was. Kakashi, however, knew of his morbid past, what Iruka did for a living, and all sorts of other information right down to what he was allergic to! Yet knowing so little about the man hadn't stopped Iruka from somehow ending up very naked and vulnerable in his arms _twice_. The teacher knew he was going to have to kick his own arse for his naivety later. At that moment, however, he decided it was time to take steps toward getting to know Kakashi better.

"Um, Kakashi? I, ah…"

_Right, brilliantly confident start. Well done, _Iruka internally griped as his words stuttered to an unsure halt.

Kakashi was looking at him with polite interest at least so he took a deep breath and decided to just wing it. It's wasn't as if any conversations he'd tried to have with the silver haired businessman had ever gone as planned anyway.

"I know our agreement is I answer all of your questions, but I find myself in a… difficult position."

"How so?" Kakashi asked before taking another fork full of food and watching him curiously.

"Well, you know an awful lot about me now. After the plane ride and spending today together, you know more about me than anyone else alive that isn't in my close-knit group of friends. And umm…" He blushed hotly and dropped his gaze, tucking some hair behind his ear embarrassedly. "We've also, ah… gone much further than I've ever gone with anyone else." He swallowed and lifted his gaze to see Kakashi watching him with a soft smile and interested eyes. "You see, I'm afraid I've been a bit stupid."

The soft smile lessened ever so slightly and the pale man put down his fork before leaning his elbows on the table and linking his fingers over his mouth. That posture was the exact same one Kakashi had adopted on the plane when Iruka had told him about his past. At least he knew he had the man's full attention and the unusual eyes didn't look angry at all, so he continued.

"I don't know anything about you. You also have this aura that makes people not want to question you too much so I haven't exactly been persistent in asking and that's my mistake because I should have harassed you a lot more before doing what we did earlier, or on the plane, but I didn't. And now it's you who gets to ask the questions again and I still want to know about you." His dark eyes quickly flashed from discomfort to annoyance as he remembered the hospital. "You also didn't tell me you knew Sasuke, which I'm still annoyed as hell about and you have some explaining to do there. I mean, you could have damn well told me back in Tokyo that you knew who I was and what Sasuke had asked of you! I would have been a hell of a lot more hospitable towards you if you had." Iruka flushed darkly again and his eyes broke contact as he remembered exactly how _hospitable_ he'd been towards Kakashi. Sighing he ran a hand through his bed and wind tussled hair. "Look, what I'm getting at is I really want to be able to ask you about yourself and get some straight answers."

The silence stretched out for a while, only broken by the sounds from the street and the ocean. He knew he had stepped over some invisible line drawn in the sand and that Kakashi likely wasn't too happy with him, but he honestly felt as though he had a right to at least ask for permission to ask about his strange companion.

The hand touching his shoulder lightly made Iruka jump in surprise and he looked up to see Kakashi standing next to him. The silence and speed with which the man moved never failed to shock the teacher and was just one of the many things he wanted to ask about. No one could move like that without training. He locked his eyes with the gorgeous mismatched pair and released the breath he hadn't realised he was holding. They weren't angry. They were once again transmitting nothing but understanding and Iruka felt the tension in his shoulders relax again.

Unexpectedly, Kakashi slid one of his large hands over Iruka's cheek leaning down to place a soft fleeting kiss on his lips.

"I think that's fair," the silver haired man said as he pulled away. "I can't promise I'll answer all the questions you ask, but I will answer the ones that I feel comfortable with."

Blushing a little from the kiss, Iruka smiled. "Thank you. If you don't want to answer something I promise I won't push you."

Kakashi just smiled and the younger man knew he was thinking that Iruka couldn't push him even if he tried. It made him want to smack him for being so damn cocky but the expanse of bare ivory skin once more distracted him. That tall frame stood relaxed and slightly slouched, hands in pockets and the stomach set at just the right angle where every abdominal muscle seemed to stand out.

"Can I ask a favour first?" Iruka said as he dragged his eyes away from Kakashi's distracting abdomen and back to the handsome face.

A silver eyebrow rose over the right eye and Iruka finally had his answer as to whether the left one rose or not. It didn't.

"Hm?"

"Can you put a shirt on please?" He laughed sheepishly and scratched at the back of his head. "You're really very distracting like that."

A damn sexy grin broke out on the gorgeous man's face. "Do you want to do naughty things to my body, s_ensei_?"

"No! And stop saying my title like that!" the blushing teacher snapped irritably. "It's just hard to think when you're all half naked and I'd actually like to be able to remember some of the answers you give."

Deep laughter reverberated on the air and Iruka scowled darkly up at the older man.

"It's not that funny," he muttered

"You would have to be the most honest and expressive person I've ever met, Iruka," Kakashi chuckled and smiled fondly down at the dark haired teacher. "I will do this favour for you, but you have to do one for me in return."

The silky dark brows dipped in wariness. "Oh god, what do you need me to do for you now?"

"Sleep with me tonight."

Chocolate eyes widened almost comically as a hot blush flooded over his cheeks. "I- I really don't think that-"

"I'm not asking you for sex," Kakashi interrupted, "I'm just asking you to sleep with me in the bed tonight. It'll be a lot more comfortable than the couch you've picked out over near the kitchen and I promise I'll be my usual gentlemanly self."

Iruka snorted in amusement. "Your 'usual gentlemanly self' is a perverted bastard who enjoys manipulating unsuspecting travellers. And how the hell do you know which couch I picked out?" he finished slightly peeved.

"I could see you doing the calculations in your head when I was showing you around. 'Where will I be least in the way? Where looks comfortable but isn't a highly visible area?' and when your eyes landed on the couch in the corner near the kitchen you gave a little nod and looked satisfied." Iruka was gaping at Kakashi by this stage and damn the man if he wasn't smirking with those talented pale lips. "I told you on the plane that you have a very revealing face." Iruka stared at him incredulously for a moment then shook his head in disbelief. "So, do we have a deal? I'll put on a shirt if you sleep in the bed with me tonight."

"Why do you want me to? You strike me more as the 'wham-bam thanks now scram' type than a snuggler," Iruka said, genuinely interested in the answer.

"Well, you just happen to be particularly snugglable," the taller man answered with the curvy-eyed smile.

Iruka just sighed and rubbed his left temple where he could feel the warning tightening of a headache coming on. "Fine. Go put on a damn shirt."

The silver haired man looked supremely pleased with himself as he sauntered off inside, leaving Iruka muttering to himself about how 'snugglable' wasn't even a word while turning back to eat more of that wonderful hollandaise sauce. When Kakashi returned, the wrap was back covering his eye and he was dressed in dark jeans that showed off his muscular butt and thighs to perfection. His torso was covered in a grey polo shirt that did nothing to hide the defined biceps or pectorals. Did the blasted man have to look so damn good in everything?

"While we talk I'd like to take a walk along the beach. I'm always more relaxed when outdoors and moving," Kakashi commented mildly but Iruka recognised it as the first time the older man had really volunteered information about himself.

Iruka quickly assessed how his back was feeling and found the pain to be gone. Obviously, the rest during dinner had calmed down the muscles.

"Sounds good to me, I love walking on the beach. Do you want any more to eat before we go?"

"No. We'll have some desert when we get back, hm?"

"Sure. That'd be nice." Iruka smiled and couldn't understand for the life of him why Kakashi gave a smirk that bordered on becoming a leer. "I just gotta-"

"Don't even think of changing," Kakashi interrupted him. "You look fine as you are. And don't think of cleaning up either, someone from room service will come up and do it."

Iruka just grinned in amazed amusement. "You really can tell what's going through my head, can't you?"

"Yep," replied the older man as he slipped his hand into his pocket and handed Iruka a hair tie.

Iruka cracked up laughing and accepted the hair tie. He scraped his hair into a low ponytail before snagging the last prawn and following the taller man inside.

"You don't mind if I go barefoot do you? The beach is just across the road and I hate wearing shoes on sand," he mumbled around the mouthful of food.

"Fine by me, I'll even join you."

With that, Kakashi kicked off his own shoes by the door and they wandered out to the elevator. The ride down was comfortably silent and they entered the foyer side by side though not touching. Iruka wandered along with his hands in his pockets and happily chatting about what he thought of the hotels fountain and art work as Kakashi listened with a slight smile and chuckled at some of the smaller man's observations. They made quite the spectacular sight in a room full of wealthy patrons all dressed up extravagantly to go out for the evening. Envious eyes followed them as they strolled barefoot toward the entrance doors and ignored all those around them, just content with each other's company.

Iruka pointed at an abstract painting on one of the far walls and said something as he cast a cheeky grin up at the taller man. Kakashi let out a deep rumble of laughter and made a comment back, which had his smaller companion laughing in his rich warm way. Many men and women posed or made loud comments as they passed but they were completely ignored, Iruka totally focused on Kakashi and Kakashi choosing to not acknowledge their existence.

They waited for a break in traffic, crossing the road to head down to the beach. Iruka smiled as his toes hit the grainy sand. The night was balmy with a cool breeze and there were very few people on the beach. They didn't really pick a direction; just turned, and started wandering along the shore as waves crashed on one side and the city lights shone on the other. They both felt relaxed and it was good to be out in the night air.

"So, what's your first question?" Kakashi asked him.

"How old are you?" It was better to start off simple and work up to more difficult questions. Iruka wasn't going to put the larger male off by asking the hard-hitting ones first.

"29. How old did you think I am?"

"Truth be told, I had no idea. You look about 30 but act like you've lived a hundred years sometimes so I wasn't really going to hazard a guess." Iruka smiled up at him. "How did you and Sasuke come to know each other?"

"Well, I bought his father's business when he was still a small child. When Fugaku passed away, I went to the funeral and met Sasuke and his older brother Itachi. Itachi was only 16 but had already taken over part of the business. Quite the little prodigy I must admit, and more than competent, but he's cold and bitter before his time and it really shows in how he conducts business. Sasuke, on the other hand, was salvageable. He was still far too old for his years and had no idea about what simple human warmth and contact was like but he wasn't cold yet."

"I remember the first time I hugged him," Iruka said, "He fell off the roof while trying to get a ball down and hurt his arm. I gave him a hug after we'd iced it and the swelling came down enough to realise it was just bruised." Iruka chuckled warmly as he remembered the expression on his young friend's face. "I honestly didn't know if he was going to punch me or cry. I don't think he knew either."

Kakashi smiled and nodded in understanding. "His mother isn't exactly the cuddling type. She prefers to leave the boys to do their own thing while she lives her life. It actually wasn't long before you met him that I took him on as an apprentice. I sat him down one day and told him that I would teach him what he needed to know about the business world but it would require some changes on his behalf. He agreed and I pulled him out of the exclusive private school he was going to and dropped him into the public system. His mother was horrified and his brother mocked him endlessly. I knew it bothered him but he needed to get to know what people that didn't come from money were like. He had to have contact with the average working class kids of his age and see how they lived and survived. It was really hard for him at first and every time I saw him for awhile he was sporting new bruises and muttering something about an 'usuratonkachi'. On one hand I was kind of worried about him getting into so many fights at school but on the other I knew it would be good for him to have any prejudices knocked out of him by the working class kids."

"Yeah," Iruka grinned sheepishly and scratched the back of his neck, "he was only fighting with one kid. Naruto. The two of them didn't exactly hit it off right away. I'm sure you'll be happy to know that Kit came home more than once with a bloody nose and black eye. Oh, I yelled at him so much for fighting at school but he'd never really done it before and Sasuke just seemed to rub him the wrong way."

"Same conclusions were made on my end," Kakashi agreed. "That's why I phoned the school and told them to put the two boys on a project together. A nice long project worth lots of marks that would force them to work as a team if they wanted to pass."

"You did?" Iruka exclaimed surprised.

"Yep. Figured it was the best way to teach Sasuke that he won't always like the people he has to work with but that it's important to get past that and find a way to operate together effectively."

The shorter man started laughing. "That's brilliant. I just thought the school was being sadistic by putting the boys together on the project. You should have heard Naruto come home the day he found out he had to work with the 'bastard'. He just about yelled my ears off and ranted for hours. I was actually quite worried there would be blood if the two of them worked together unsupervised, which is why I told Naruto to invite Sasuke over to work on the paper. That way I would be there to intervene if things got out of hand."

"Yes, I met with Sasuke that night and I've never seen him quite so adamant about not wanting to do something before. I just told him to suck it up and find a way to work with the kid because he wasn't going to like everyone he had to work with in life. He actually came back with quite a scathing comment along the lines of knowing that already because he had to work with me." Kakashi paused and feigned a hurt expression as Iruka cracked up laughing. "Hey, it's not that funny."

"S-Sorry, but it really is," Iruka choked out during his laughter. "I can just imagine him doing that as the little spit fire teenager he was. What was your reaction?"

Kakashi chuckled. "About the same as the one you just had. I laughed and sent him home with a glare on his face so black even his brother left him alone that night."

Iruka frowned. "This Itachi guy doesn't sound very nice. I know that Sasuke had a look of death on his face when he first admitted to having a brother and Naruto and I decided it would be best just not to ask about him. We figured Sasuke would tell us in his own time when he wanted to."

"Itachi isn't very nice," Kakashi confirmed. "If it hadn't been written into the contract and Fugaku a friend of mine, I would have gotten rid of him a long time ago. As it is, I placed one of my best people as his right-hand man to keep an eye on him and to make sure things run fairly. I heard the next morning that when Sasuke had gotten home that night, after going to your house for the first time, Itachi had been waiting up for him and hooked in as soon as he walked through the door. By all accounts, Sasuke just stood there not saying anything refusing to take the bait. He had a strange, almost content look on his face and it wasn't until Itachi mentioned that maybe he should speak with the parents of the other boy that Sasuke gave any reaction at all. He just smirked, said 'good luck', and went upstairs to his room."

"I've never spoken with Itachi so I guess he must have decided not to call after all. Actually, you're the first person from Sasuke's other life that I've met. The rest of the time, it's just us and some friends from high school or university. Naruto and I made the decision not to pry."

"I spoke with Itachi and told him not to call. When I met with Sasuke the next day I could tell he was very taken with whomever he had met and the fact that he refused to tell me anything about the two of you was really very interesting. The next thing we all knew, if he wasn't at school or working for the business, he was spending all his time with his newfound friend. I considered hiring someone to investigate into the two of you and then decided that this was really the first thing Sasuke had claimed for himself without the input of his family or me. I knew he needed something separate and left him to follow his own friendships. If it fell apart he would have learnt something valuable, but in the mean time he was a lot more focused and calm at work so I decided that it couldn't be a bad thing."

The wind picked up slightly and the tang of salt on the air strengthened around them. Being by the ocean and outdoors was obviously very soothing for the older man. Kakashi seemed to be more relaxed and open so Iruka was glad they'd gone for the walk. It really was pleasant just wondering along with the coarse grains under their feet. Iruka's toes were a cold but there was no way he'd suggest they go back just because of that. The conversation was far too interesting.

"I'm glad you didn't get anyone to investigate us. If I had found out that it was happening or knew now I'd be very angry. You would have ended up with one furious teacher in your office." Iruka grinned and was surprised when Kakashi gave him a serious look.

"If I'd known it would have gotten _you_ into my office I would have done it in a heartbeat, Iruka. I meant what I said before about how if I'd known Sasuke had met such interesting people you and I would have gotten to know each other a long time ago. But, at least this way you weren't hostile toward me from the very start. I was tempted to have you investigated a few times because small things kept happening to spark my interest. Sasuke would receive a phone call, he'd look at the number, and his eyes would soften when he thought no one was watching. I listened to his side of the conversation a few times and was surprised at how much his voice changed. If he was speaking with the one called 'idiot' he would become more brash and cocky, when he spoke with you his voice always softened. Once I think, you called him for some advice and his whole body language changed. He looked so protective and spoke with you about the correct legal terminology to use when fighting for an extension before some lease ran out."

What Kakashi didn't mention was that as soon as Sasuke had hung up from speaking with Iruka, he had immediately phoned his HQ offices and ordered them to purchase Iruka and Naruto's home. That was another thing that had seriously sparked Kakashi's interest, almost to the extent where he'd called Yamato and initiated the investigation. He'd put a lot of thought into the situation before deciding to let it go.

"The biggest clincher for me came when Sasuke got sick and went to your place instead of going home," Kakashi continued. "But, I'd made the decision to leave him be so I stuck to it."

"Oh, I remember that. I was so worried when he turned up with fever burning and just about passing out. It was such a nasty flu. He was crashed out in bed for days and all we could do was feed him good food and let him rest. Poor guy was so sick that he was having horrible, mangled dreams. Naruto and I took turns sleeping with him and holding him at night just so he'd settle enough to sleep peacefully. It was quite scary. I offered to call his house and let them know how he was doing but he told me he'd already called them and they didn't care." Iruka shook his head at the memory.

"He was telling the truth, they wouldn't have cared. In fact, Itachi might have come over just to jibe him about how he was being an inconvenience to you."

"Never! He's never been an inconvenience to us. He's family." Iruka said horrified. If anyone had come over and done that they would have found themselves back out on the street in an instant with a very sore backside. Iruka wouldn't have cared who they thought they were.

"That's why he loves you both so much. You're his family, more so than his blood relatives have ever been. Anyway, there's the answer to your question. That's how I know Sasuke and how he came to be my apprentice. I saw great potential in him and he's never let me down. I'm very proud of him," Kakashi finished with a serious nod.

Iruka smiled up at him warmly. "I'm glad he's had someone to help guide him in what I've come to call his 'other life'. I would never have guessed that you owned his business though. I think my next question will have to be, what do you do for a living? What _is_ your business?"

Kakashi lazily shrugged a shoulder and looked out at the ocean. "My business is business. I buy businesses that take my interest and work them up to be successful so they can operate mostly independently. I still own them though. I make sure they're run fairly and my team keeps tabs on how they're doing financially."

"Oh, that sounds really difficult. I have trouble keeping track of the orphanage and my own funds, let alone anything else. So, how many businesses do you own then?"

"I can't remember exactly. I stopped keeping close tabs when the number reached 1000-"

"_What_? You own over 1000 businesses. What do they all do?" Iruka asked surprised.

"Well, pretty much everything. I rarely take on two of the same kind unless they're very profitable."

Iruka laughed in amazement. "I bet I could name any business and you'd probably own one, right?"

"Yep," Kakashi agreed with a cocky grin.

"So does anyone own you?"

Kakashi grinned devilishly. "Nope, I am the King."

Iruka cracked up laughing at that. "I am honoured by your presence, oh mighty king," he joked with a flourished bow.

The effect was ruined less than a second later as his foot caught under something in the sand and sent him pitching forwards.

"Whoa!" he called out in surprise.

He wasn't worried about getting hurt, it was a soft surface to land on after all, but before he'd fallen too far an arm hooked around his chest and lifted him back up. Kakashi's deep laughter drifted around them as he set the smaller man back on his feet.

"Careful there," Kakashi said as Iruka blushed at his clumsiness.

A twinge of pain shot through his back as he straightened up, but he managed to stop any sign of discomfort from reaching his face. They would have to head back soon or he'd be in a world of pain the next day.

"The sand's booby trapped. What was that?" The teacher bobbed down and dug his hands through the sand to discover a mostly buried beach towel. The weight of the sand on the material had given it enough resistance to catch his foot. "Hm, someone will be missing this."

Picking it up and shaking it carefully so the sand didn't blow on them, the shorter man carried it up to a nearby railing of one of the beach access tracks and draped it over. Returning to his companion, he offered up a sheepish smile. "There, now no one else will trip and hopefully the owner will find it. Nice catch by the way, thanks."

"You're welcome," Kakashi grinned.

"That actually leads me onto my next question." A silver eyebrow rose at him. "How is it you're so damn fast? And quiet? There's been so many times when I've just not heard you at all. Today when you sat next to me at the markets and again at the hospital, I didn't hear you. And your speed is kinda freakish. In New York when you caught my wrist and tossed me back onto the bed… it was like it was _effortless_. You must have had training of some sort. Not to mention you're pretty damn cut for a business man." He poked Kakashi's defined stomach gently and grinned up at him. "You don't strike me as the gym junkie type either."

"Ah," said Kakashi.

"Ah?" asked Iruka.

"That is a question that will lead to other questions I'm not willing to answer."

"Ah," repeated Iruka in understanding. "You don't have to answer if you don't want to. I'm certainly not going to push you."

"Well, I'll tell you this. I've been doing martial arts since I was three years old. My father had me train in all forms and with a new instructor every year so I developed new skills and techniques constantly. I also spent some time in the military after my father passed away. Since then, I just keep in practice myself. I enjoy it and it keeps me fit."

"I see. That would make you a very dangerous individual. So you can kill me with your pinky?" Iruka asked, half joking and half wondering if the older man really could do it.

Kakashi could, but Iruka didn't need to know that. Instead, he just laughed and wiggled around his little finger. "It is a dangerous looking weapon isn't it."

"Terrifying," the dark haired man agreed with a cheeky grin. "I'm all aquiver with fear."

Stepping forward and sliding a hand around the back of the smaller man's neck, Kakashi gave a deep contemplative hum low in his throat. Large chocolate eyes looked up at the tall man and the orphanage teacher felt his heartbeat and breath quicken.

"I'd prefer to make you quiver with something else," the deep voice murmured as the silver crowned head lowered and Kakashi claimed his lips in a deep, languid kiss.

Iruka reached out and clasp the front of the grey shirt as the other strong arm wrapped around him and pulled their bodies flush. He parted his lips willingly when the questing tongue brushed against them and brought his own tongue to meet it. The arms around him were so hot against his cool skin and he pressed further into the warm body in front, sliding his arms around the broad chest to stroke over the larger man's back. They caressed each other gently, revelling in the taste and texture of mingling tongues.

All too soon, Kakashi pulled away and gazed down at the glazed dark eyes looking back up at him.

"You make it so hard to stop," he muttered and stroked the loose tresses back behind tanned ears.

Another sharp twinge of pain laced through Iruka's back and this time he couldn't hide the wince or small hiss of pain. This one was worse than the others and the ache was back with a vengeance. Kakashi instantly released him but didn't step away.

"What's wrong?" he asked, brow furrowed as the single grey eye looked over the younger man as if searching for injuries.

Iruka was so disappointed. He'd been enjoying the walk and chatting with the elite businessman by the ocean. Looking up, he smiled apologetically.

"Sorry, it's my back. One of the after-effects from my sadistic caretakers. Getting the shit kicked out of you for a few years really does a number on your spine and muscles. Getting shot didn't really help either," he said with an ironic chuckle. "The trip from Japan and all the running around I've done today has aggravated it a bit. Plus, I'm starting to get cold so it's seizing up."

While Kakashi certainly hadn't forgotten about the young teacher's past, he should have realised there would be more damage done than the scars, both physical and psychological. He made a mental note to watch Iruka's activity in the future and not push him too far.

"Come on, let's head back. Can you walk alright?" he asked concerned.

"Oh yeah," Iruka said with a big smile, trying to placate the taller man. "Hell, it's hurt more than this before and I've still had to go on. I'd just rather not push it too much."

"Of course," Kakashi agreed. He wrapped an arm around the brunette's waist and they started back. "I have to say, I'm surprised you haven't asked any really hard hitting questions tonight. Is there anything major you wanted to know?"

He smiled as the younger man looped an arm around his waist in return and held onto the material of his shirt. Now, this was very nice, walking along the beach so closely together. Kakashi hadn't enjoyed something so simple in a long time. If Iruka wasn't in pain and he wasn't seething furiously under the surface from the gentle man's mistreatment, the situation would have been perfect.

"It's ok," Iruka said, smiling up at him warmly. "I don't want to ask any really tough questions. I have a fair idea of what you're comfortable with answering. Anything else you'll tell me in your own time… or not. Either way it's your decision."

Kakashi just shook his head and smiled. "You really are one of a kind you know that?"

The younger man rubbed at his nose scar bashfully and chuckled.

"So if you were to ask something hard hitting, what would it be?" the silver haired man pressed. He wanted to know what it was that Iruka was most curious about.

"There's actually three things that I want to know equally. The first is about your eye. I think it's so unique and beautiful in its own way, but something like that, especially with the scar, would have a painful story behind it."

Quickly, Kakashi forced down the dark memories and focused on the most surprising thing Iruka had said. "You think it's beautiful?"

"Yes," Iruka answered simply and sincerely

There was a moment of silence.

"Thank you."

Iruka could tell that Kakashi wanted a change of topic so he moved on to his next biggest question. "The second question is about your childhood. I know from the look on your face this afternoon that it was hard and the little bit you mentioned of your dad… well, it seems like he might have been quite tough on you."

"He was," Kakashi answered and the smaller man didn't expect him to elaborate any further.

"I guess the last one will either be the easiest or the hardest to answer. I want to know if you're happy. You're successful, gorgeous, rich, and everyone seems to fawn over you but are you actually happy?"

Kakashi was stunned. Of all the things that Iruka could ask him, the three questions he found the most pressing all had to do with Kakashi' physical and mental well being. Nothing about how much money he made each year, how much he was worth, what cars he owned, the house he lived in, what incredible places he could take the young teacher, or the things he could buy for him. Nothing to do with money at all. This really was the kindest person he'd ever met. But Kakashi was a very private person and Iruka had been right, that question did hit a little too close to home. Time to evade and distract.

"You think I'm gorgeous?" he asked in a flirtatious tone.

"Oh, shut u-" Iruka's glare turned into a pained wince as he gasped and gripped tightly onto Kakashi's shirt.

The older man tightened his hold and took most of the young man's weight. Kakashi was sure that if he hadn't, the pony-tailed sensei would likely have crumpled to his knees.

"That's it," he said, kneeling down into the sand and grasping a tanned forearm, manoeuvring Iruka to his back. "Climb on, you're not walking anymore."

Iruka was shocked. He couldn't let someone else carry him around a wealthy and upper class area like this. How embarrassing, not to mention a major imposition on Kakashi.

"Wh-what! No, I'm not going to let you carry me. I can walk damn it, I just need a minute," he huffed and shoved at the kneeling man.

Kakashi didn't even lean sideways at the shove and his grip on Iruka's wrist was still firm. Instead, he twisted slightly towards the frowning man and fixed him with a smiling grey eye that held a definite hard under layer. The eye basically transmitted 'we can do this the easy way or the hard way, but whichever way you choose I'm carrying you back to the hotel'.

"It's on my back or in my arms, your choice."

"I'm too heavy and it's a long way back to the hotel. I'll end up putting your back out and then-"

"Iruka," Kakashi interrupted with a look that clearly stated the younger man was being argumentative for no good reason, "I have, on many occasions, carried around men three times your weight and both of our packs while in the army over stupidly long distances for no other reason than training. Stop saying your heavy; it's actually disturbing how little you weigh. Now climb on."

Iruka glared at him for a good few seconds before snapping angrily, "If I argue you'll just pick me up and walk off won't you?"

Kakashi gave a big grin, his eye curving up happily clearly answering that he would without a second's hesitation.

"You suck," the younger man grumped as he walked forward ignoring the elder's quiet laughter. He slid onto the warm broad back, leaning his arms over the wide shoulders and clasping his hands together on the other man's chest. Strong arms slid under his legs and they rose with seemingly no effort at all on Kakashi's part.

"I do," the tall man chuckled as he set off easily across the sand. "And from your reactions earlier, I'm quite good at it too."

A noise of pure embarrassed outrage erupted near his ear and Iruka unclasped his hands to punch him in the shoulder. "You arrogant bastard! Let me off."

The deep laughter was loud and appreciative as Kakashi ignored his squirming passenger's demands and kept walking. "Now, now, calm down. If you keep squirming like that I'll drop you and that'll really hurt your back," he said happily.

It would never happen of course. He'd never drop Iruka, but it did make the younger man settle down and hang on properly again. He loved the feel of those tanned arms wrapped around him and the slender body pressed flush up against his own. As the younger man tightened his grip a little and pressed further into his warmth Kakashi couldn't help but smile. He would get to feel this tight little body pressed up against him all night long. It was going to be impossible to keep his hands to himself, but he'd have to make sure he didn't push things too far.

It was very obvious that once Iruka was being pleasured he was quite easily manipulated and Kakashi had no doubt that he could lead the younger man to sex with very little effort. The inexperienced teacher became putty in his hands after a few well-placed caresses and he'd not done anything particularly skilful so far, just taking it slowly and introducing the sensations gradually to draw out the gratification. As badly as he wanted to just bury himself inside the slender body, he'd resist the temptation.

He actually wanted to drag this out, catch every gasp, whimper, and scream. To feel every trembling, quivering muscle and find out exactly how to make them tremble again. The young man was so sensitive and responsive. It was as if Iruka had been designed purely for sexual pleasure and Kakashi found himself hardening at the memories of their times together of the past couple of days. He just wanted the orphanage teacher. He wanted him badly.

Iruka was, at that same moment, contemplating the phenomenon that was Kakashi's hair.

_How does it stand up like that? There's no gel as far as I can tell. And what a crooked cut. It's sexy,__ remarkably so, but crooked. The man's stupidly wealthy and yet he can't get a decent haircut? I wonder if he is actually a millionaire. How much would a millionaire have to pay for a crappy cut like that? I wonder how many orphanage teachers have had the opportunity to inspect a millionaire's haircut up close while they were given a piggyback ride._

Unable to hold in his humour at the ridiculousness of the situation, Iruka cracked up into loud peals of happy laughter. He at least had the presence of mind to turn his face away from Kakashi's ear so he didn't deafen the wealthy man with the bad haircut. His chest shook as he laughed and laughed until it finally subsided to a few small chuckles and a happy sigh. He could see Kakashi was grinning like a fool and there was a curious tilt to the silver head.

"So, what was that all about?" the older man asked him, amusement evident in his voice.

Iruka blushed a little and gave another chuckle. "Nothing important really, it's just a little ridiculous our situation right now. This sort of thing doesn't really happen in real life. It's like we're in a bad sitcom or something."

"How so?" The amusement level of the deep voice had increased.

"Well, it's just bizarre. The boring, plain, scarred, poor orphanage teacher who's had to be rescued by the dashing, tall, muscled, gorgeous millionaire with a weird haircut." Iruka thought he heard Kakashi mutter "millionaire?" but wasn't sure so he kept talking. "It's like something from a B-grade movie or the mental workings of a mildly psychotic internet author. Why would we ever meet, let alone be in the situation where someone like you would be giving someone like me a piggyback ride?" Iruka finished amidst more chuckles over their strange circumstances.

Kakashi was still grinning but also looked thoughtful. "I'll address some of the things you said later, but for now I'd like to revisit a question I asked awhile ago and you never actually answered."

"Hm? Which one's that?"

"You think I'm gorgeous?" Kakashi turned his head to look into wide brown eyes set in a rapidly flushing face. He was leering openly and Iruka struggled not to start denying everything. Stupid agreement and stupid questions and stupid _stupid_ honesty!

He ducked his head and hid it against the pale neck so close, ignoring the silver strands tickling his skin.

"Yes," he muttered so it would be audible, but only barely so.

"Hmm… how much?"

Iruka could practically taste the amusement-laden tone it was so thick.

He snapped his head up and glared at Kakashi in exasperation. "Like you need any more of an ego boost! Don't enough people fall at your feet?"

"Well, you haven't yet so I guess not. Anyway, you still have to answer the question. How much?" Iruka chose to turn his face away and sulk for a little instead of answering but the older man was having none of it. "Irruuuka. How much? Come on, from a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the most gorgeous creature you'd ever imagined before meeting me, where do I sit?"

The younger man mumbled something in a very grumpy voice that Kakashi didn't catch. "What was that?"

"I said twelve, you egotistical nut job!" the teacher snapped loudly and thumped the older man on the chest. He knew his face was flushed darkly at the admission. "Now quit asking me stupid questions like that!"

Damn he felt tired. It was exhausting being around this man and the silver haired bastard was laughing like Iruka was the funniest person he'd ever met. That dark, sexy as hell laughter floated around him, mixing with the salty ocean tang and cool breeze. He dropped his head onto the broad shoulder and couldn't help the small smile that graced his lips. That laughter really did sound wonderful.

"All right, I'll leave off that topic for now. Besides, I have another question for you."

"Oh god, what is it now?" Iruka muttered into the shoulder disparagingly.

"Now, now, don't be like that," the older man chided good humouredly. "I want you to tell me about your first kiss."

Memories came flooding back, dark memories he'd not allowed to surface in a long time and he couldn't stop the tension from moving through his body nor the angry fisting of his hands in the grey shirt.

"Iruka? What is it?" The gentle tone was back and Iruka sighed to dispel the initial irritation at the tone. It wasn't Kakashi's fault that he'd hit another sore spot.

"Nothing, you just have a knack for asking innocent questions which are hard to answer." Sighing again, he loosened his grip on the grey fabric, hugged the older man a little closer, and closed his eyes. "This goes back to my orphanage days. Are you sure you really want an answer? It's been a nice night, there's no need to drag up something like this."

"I want to know. Don't skimp on the details, give me the whole picture." The gentle voice had been replaced by something harder but by no means threatening and Iruka knew that it wasn't directed at him but at those from his past.

It made him feel nice in a way that someone was angry on his behalf. The teacher looked out over the ocean and, like on the plane, pretended he was just saying the words aloud rather than telling someone in particular.

"My first kiss was forced on me by a boy at the orphanage. His name was, still is I suppose, Mizuki. He had silver hair like you, but his leaned towards more white than your moonlight shade. Anyway, he was quite separate from the rest of us boys in that he chose to side with Orochimaru and Kabuto rather than us. He'd tell them where we were hiding, the things we planned if he overheard our ideas to escape, and was basically a right little snitch. It did save him the beatings we all went but… well, we hated him."

His thin arms hugged a little tighter and the grip on his legs tightened with them.

"After awhile it became very clear that he wasn't doing it because he was trying to protect himself but because he enjoyed it too. He began to help Kabuto by holding us down and he would never hesitate to do anything to us that Kabuto ordered. Anyway, one Christmas I had kitchen duty. There were two doors in the kitchen, one lead from the kitchen to the back courtyard where Naruto and my friend Raidou were sitting just outside the door playing a game and enjoying some rare sunshine while I was doing the dishes. We never went anywhere alone, us boys. There were always two or more of us together at all times for protection and to act as a deterrent for Kabuto and Mizuki. Well, my back was to the inside entry door and by the time I heard Rai's warning shout Mizuki had already snuck across the room and slammed the other door shut, locking them outside. When Kabuto came into the kitchen from the internal door and locked that behind him I knew I was in for a really bad time."

A shudder ran through the slender body on his back and Kakashi looked ahead to see how close they were to the beach access track leading back to the hotel. It was less than a minute away. There was no way he was going to leave the privacy of the beach while Iruka was caught up in the midst of his painful past. Better the young man tell the story at a soothing location like this than somewhere he was instinctively on edge. He stopped walking and knelt down again, allowing the teacher to slide from his back.

"What's wrong?" Iruka asked as he regained his footing on the sand.

"Nothing at all, I'd just like to sit while you finish telling me what happened," he said in a deceptively mild tone as he dropped to the sand. He sat with his legs apart enough that Iruka would fit between them and held a hand out to the teacher. "Sit with me? This way I can keep your back warm."

"Ok," the younger man agreed and settled between his legs.

Kakashi wrapped his arms around the slender torso, pulling Iruka close and the teacher relaxed against him. The skin beneath his hands felt cool but quickly warmed to his touch. Dropping his head, he nuzzled at the sensitive area of skin just behind a tanned earlobe where the younger man's jaw curved.

"Please, keep going," he murmured gently.

Tipping his head back, Iruka leaned it on the broad shoulder behind him and felt his back muscles relaxing as the larger man's warmth seeped into them. He contemplated closing his eyes and decided he didn't want to risk the mental images that might surface so instead he stared out to sea once more.

"I still haven't decided if I was a brave or stupid kid. Some of the others would just completely submit whenever Kabuto caught them and things would always be quick with them, almost like it was a reward for giving in. I always fought and this lead to me getting some of the worst beatings in that place. I just didn't have it in me to submit though; I couldn't stand the thought of giving in. So, when Mizuki lunged for me I grabbed one of the tin plates I'd been washing and hit him with it. It didn't do any real damage, just gave him a nasty bruise on his cheek, and knocked him down. It also gave Kabuto a chance to grab me and force me to the ground. He'd kneel on the same spot every time. Right here." He leaned forward a bit and the strong arms loosened just long enough for him to point to an area on his lower spine.

As soon as he'd moved his hand out of the way he was drawn back against the warm chest and held tightly again. "It was so painful that I'd stop struggling and they'd be able to pin my arms. I could hear Naruto and Rai banging on the door and screaming for them to let me go. I knew that if they kept it up Rai would be hunted down later and beaten for it. He wouldn't touch Naruto because of the Warden, so Raidou would have to pay for both of them. I yelled at them to get out of there, that it was too late. Mizuki just laughed as we heard Rai dragging Naruto away, who was screaming and crying like he was being torn apart. Kabuto muttered something about us boys being so overly dramatic and twisted my arms up so my wrists were trapped together between my shoulder blades. I remember being terrified that if he forced them even a millimetre higher they'd both break. After that he pulled my shirt up off my lower back and I knew what was coming."

He pressed even further into the warmth behind him and drew his knees up to his chest. If it wasn't for the arms around him, he would have hugged his legs but the feeling of being held was just too welcome. Those strong arms and the solid muscle at his back made him feel like he was protected and sheltered. Like nothing could touch him if he just stayed right there in the circle of Kakashi's arms. While he knew it was an illusion, it was exactly what he needed while he talked.

"I wanted to twist and fight but I was just terrified that my arms would break and I'd be left even more defenceless than I already was, so I froze and tried to prepare mentally for whatever they had planned. Nothing could prepare me for what happened though. Kabuto called over Mizuki and told him Merry Christmas. His present was to leave a permanent mark on my skin so I'd never forget him, so that no matter what else happened in life there would be one person in the world that would remember his existence until the day they died. I'll never forget what he said, he asked 'isn't that nice?' and Mizuki clapped his hands in excitement and said it was the best gift he'd ever received."

Tears of remembered hurt and anger began to roll down his cheeks, fat slow drops that Iruka barely noticed. While he'd told Kakashi what had happened in his childhood on the plane he'd never gone into such detail and reliving that experience was always painful. He hoped that Kakashi couldn't see him crying and he was proud that his voice remained steady as he continued to talk. He trusted the older man, he didn't know why but he trusted him not to spill his secrets. Perhaps it was because Kakashi had so many of his own that he knew their value and Iruka led too much of an insignificant existence to have any of this information used against him.

"Kabuto told him to be creative, to make the experience memorable. I was screaming at Mizuki that if he so much as touched me I'd tear his arms off; it's kinda hard to make a convincing threat when you're completely pinned and defenceless though. Kabuto just laughed and told me how much I should appreciate my 'schoolmate' helping me to make sure the ugliness of my front matched my back so I would at least be symmetrical even if nobody would ever want to touch me." Iruka's tone was bitter and angry.

As if to dispel what was said so long ago, elegant hands rubbed over his upper arms and he could feel a few light kisses pressed into his hair before the figure behind him stilled again and Iruka felt strong enough to keep talking. What he was about to reveal though was true horror and needed to warn the older man.

"Kakashi, this gets very nasty. More so than I think you can imagine. You told me not to leave anything out, but I don't think you really want to hear this."

Another kiss was pressed to his hair before words were murmured gently in his ear. "What did Mizuki do?"

Iruka sighed and mentally braced himself.

"Alright," he said in resignation before continuing. "Mizuki laughed and started looking around the kitchen for various implements. He'd pick up forks, knives, a potato peeler, cheese grater, the lid from a tin can and the edges were all jagged. Every time he picked something up I'd feel my heart beat take off like a rocket but after a moment's thought he'd look at my back and put them all down again. He told Kabuto that he wanted to do something more original and that I'd been sliced too many times so I was probably used to it by now. Finally his eyes landed on the oven tray Orochimaru and Kabuto's goose lunch had been cooked in and I hadn't washed yet. He started laughing and clapping his hands saying he knew exactly what he wanted to do and I knew this was going to be one of the worst."

Iruka took a deep breath and swallowed thickly. He really didn't want to relive this next part but, as he had on the plane, once he'd told this much he really did just want to get out the rest.

"He took the tray and the packet of matches from next to the stove and knelt down next to me. I felt the still warm oil and goose fat from the tray being poured over my lower back, Kabuto began praising him for his creativity as I began to struggle again. I didn't care that my arms would break, I was yelling, swearing at them to stop but Kabuto just grabbed the back of my neck with his other hand, and there are these points that when he pressed my vision would go white there'd be so much pain. It was when he released his hold on my neck that Mizuki struck a match and set fire to my back." Iruka curled up a little tighter and tremors he couldn't control began to move through his body.

"I don't know how long it lasted for but I know I was screaming so hard I could taste blood in my mouth. Something had my legs pinned, I guess that was Mizuki as Kabuto was holding my upper body still. I remember he was talking to me in a really calm voice, saying that I really should stay still and I was making such an unnecessary scene. That they were helping me and doing me a favour, that they cared. Finally they put it out, the pain wouldn't stop though and it wasn't until later I learned that your skin continues to burn long after you've removed the heat source. Mizuki was laughing and thanking Kabuto so much for the wonderful gift. Kabuto told him that it was only half the gift and I couldn't believe it. I was still in so much pain and the thought that they were going to do more… I…"

A sob escaped from his throat and Kakashi's bent his knees so they bordered Iruka's as the strong arms tightened their hold. This enclosed him in a little world made purely of the larger man and enveloped him in a protective aura.

"I… just lay there… wishing for death. I prayed to any god listening that this would be the end and they'd just kill me. Instead Kabuto reached into his pocket with the hand not still pinning my wrists and pulled out a sprig of mistletoe. Fucking mistletoe. He held it over my head and smiled at Mizuki. 'Come get your Christmas kiss,' he said and the little prick actually squealed like a pig in excitement. So there I was, pinned down on the kitchen floor, my back still burning, and that _fucker_ grabbed me by the hair, twisted my head up, and kissed me. I just remember this pure spike of blessed rage when he shoved his tongue in my mouth and I bit down really hard. There was a lot of blood and he screamed and pulled away. Kabuto grabbed the back of my neck again and the combined pain was just too much. I passed out.

"Woke up a few days later in the orphanage infirmary tied face down on the bed so I couldn't move and aggravate my injuries and Naruto sitting on the floor next to me, holding my hand and watching my face. As soon as my eyes opened he just completely broke down and I couldn't even comfort him because my voice was too weak and… well, I was tied to the fucking bed. After that day, Kit wouldn't leave my side. He held my hand more times than not and if one of us needed to go to the toilet the other would stand in the room and watch the door until they were done. He just couldn't bear to let me out of his sight. When Kabuto wanted some time with me or Orochimaru wanted to have me in for another 'little chat', they would have to wrestle me away from him while he tried to fight them tooth and nail. Ended up having to make an agreement with the other boys that if that happened the guys would grab Naruto and carry him away, keep him safe until the Warden or that prick were done with me." Iruka sighed and leant his head back. His eyes closed as exhaustion from the long day and the emotional stress from recounting that time in his life flooded over his system. He was still trembling but no longer crying at least.

"The Warden hated seeing Naruto upset so he held less sessions with me, Kabuto loved it though, it was the only way he could torture the kid that wouldn't leave any marks on him. So I'd get taken more frequently then I might have otherwise but he didn't always hurt me. Sometimes he'd just lock me in the infirmary and get me to wash the windows or sit quietly while Kit's outside in hysterics. Mizuki tried to pin me again once after the kitchen but Naruto and I beat him off and ran for it. He got fed properly and was the biggest of all us boys but he still wasn't a match for two of us when we were scared or angry. That and he'd had to have a decent chunk of his tongue stitched back on and I don't think he was too keen on a repeat of that experience."

"What happened to Mizuki?" the deep voice spoke quietly in his ear, there was a definite controlled edge to it but Iruka knew by the way he was being held that none of the anger was directed towards him.

"After the shooting, Sarutobi recognised the hatred the rest of us boys felt towards Mizuki would not be changed and sent him to another orphanage for his own protection. I've seen him once since then at Sarutobi's funeral. He didn't even make it within fifty metres of us when Hayate recognised him with an angry shout. He just turned and ran off but we were all surprised he'd dared to turn up. I had to grab Naruto in a headlock to stop him from running after Mizuki. The guy was sadistically disturbed when he was just a boy so I don't even want to think of what kind of a man he's become."

Kakashi made an agreeable noise and dropped his head to nuzzle Iruka's hair. "I know that was hard, but thank you for sharing it with me."

Worming a hand out from the tight hold those strong arms had around him; the younger man wiped at the residual moisture still lingering on his cheeks and gave a large sniff.

"Why do you want to know this kind of stuff anyway?" he asked, genuinely wondering why anyone would want to hear about these kinds of horrific experiences.

"It helps me to understand you," the deep voice said low and soothing. It almost felt like a caress. "You fascinate me; I want to know all about you. I want to know about your past, how you've become the incredible person you are, how to avoid hurting you in the future."

_What pain to inflict on those __fucker from your past should the opportunity arise_, Kakashi added mentally. He was beyond furious, internally he was raging and the need to destroy something was very strong. With long practiced skill, he forced it down and focused on keeping his hold gentle and his voice low and soothing. He would not frighten the damaged man.

"I like you a lot, Iruka. More than I've liked anyone in a long time."

"I like you too," Iruka said in a small voice. "I barely know you… but I… you're so complex and so confusing."

"Confusing how?"

"You come from a level of society that's well known for being judgemental yet you've offered nothing but understanding. You're so attractive but don't seem to care about that quality in other people. There were some really fine looking, wealthy women _and _men trying to catch your eye in the hotel and you just ignored them all."

"Why wouldn't I? I have you with me." A warm nose nuzzled into Iruka's neck, thin lips kissing the skin a moment later.

"_See_, that doesn't make sense. The strangest thing about you is you're strong, so fast… dangerous, but you've not hurt me. Even when you've pushed for dominance, you let go when I asked. Both this afternoon and in the motel room in New York. I don't really know you and I have no reason to trust you. You'd think that after Mizuki and Kabuto, who had grey hair by the way, I'd be more wary of people that look like you. I'm obviously too trusting and I definitely should know better… but I… there's something different about you and… well, I feel, um…kind of…"

"What?" the older man pressed gently.

Iruka ducked his head and turned away slightly as he contemplated the wisdom of continuing what he was saying. He was so tired and it was showing in the looseness of his tongue. He'd said far too much already. It had been an incredibly emotional day and it was starting to catch up with him mentally and physically. Kakashi obviously wanted an answer though. A warm hand cupped his cheek and turned him back to the handsome pale face, the slate grey eye studying him intently, searching his features almost hungrily for something.

"Tell me."

Iruka couldn't look away from that intense gaze. "Safe," he whispered.

Something indescribable flashed through the single eye before it closed and the older man gave a small, soft smile. The large hand cupping his cheek drew him forward and warm lips brushed over his gently. "I like that."

His whole body relaxed slumping against the larger frame as he let out a relieved sigh and closed his eyes.

"I'm so tired now. Today, too many things happened today. Can we go back up now, Kashi?"

Iruka hadn't meant to shorten Kakashi's name but it just slipped out like that because of his exhaustion. The tiny gasp it elicited from the pale man was missed by the tired teacher and lost on the ocean breeze.

"'Course we can, Ru," Kakashi answered gently and rose to his feet smoothly, effortlessly drawing the smaller man up with him even from the awkward angle.

They walked side by side, Kakashi's arm hooked around Iruka's waist, back to the hotel and across the foyer. Iruka was too tired to care about anyone around them and Kakashi was too focused on the man by his side to bother with them. Once back in the privacy of their suite, Iruka headed straight for the shower to wash off the salt spray. Kakashi walked to the large dining area and leaned against the long table while looking out over the city lights.

When Iruka had told him about how he ended up with the burn scar on his lower right back he'd wanted to destroy something. He'd been so angry that he'd wanted to hunt down the Mizuki guy and make him very, _very_ slowly regret every breath he'd ever taken in life. A few minutes and some gentle words later, he'd been calmed like an angry dog pacified easily with a warm look and a fond pat on the head by its master. Shaking his head in amazement, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his slim mobile phone. Finding the number he wanted, he hit dial and waited.

"Hey, how's it going?... Hn, I'd forgotten how charming you are. Fine I'll get straight to the point. You going to be at Genma's tomorrow night?... Yeah, in LA… I'm in San Fran but I'll fly across for it… Good, I need your help with something. I'm bringing a friend who could benefit from your talents… Nope, we're helping this one… His back. You'll understand when you see it… Absolute mess… Nah, we'll be knocking him out first. He'll never let you near him conscious… No… I'm not saying we couldn't force him but we're not doing that with this one. Trust me; you'll get it when you meet him… Thanks, I'll see you tomorrow."

**…**

With a tired groan, Iruka surfaced slightly from sleep as a cool body slid into bed behind him. An arm snuck its way around his waist and he was pulled against the solid mass that could only be Kakashi. The older man smelt wonderfully fresh, like soap and minty toothpaste. Iruka relaxed back against him. Another arm slid through the curve beneath his neck and he found his head resting on a warm bicep instead of a soft pillow. Iruka didn't mind as it was perfectly comfortable too and smelt better. In the haze of half wakefulness, he pressed his face into the scented skin and inhaled deeply before sighing contentedly and nipping at the surface.

The arm draped over his waist moved and a hand crept beneath the hem of his t-shirt. It lazily stroked over the skin of his chest, tracing the contours of his body, and making his nerve endings tingle slightly. His nipple was brushed and he sleepily hummed low in his throat at the sensation causing the hand to return and continue to brush feather light fingers over the sensitive nub. Even in his tired state, he could feel the blood slowly travelling to his groin but he honestly didn't think he had the energy to do anything that night. The day really had been exhausting and he floated on the cusp of sleep.

"Mmm… Kashi?" he slurred with tiredness.

"Shhh." warm lips pressed to his hair. "Just relax. You don't have to do anything. I just want to touch. I don't want you to do anything. Just lie there and relax."

The whispered words sent a jolt of desire through the smaller body as the pressure on his nipple was increased ever so slightly. The fingers made circular motions, breaking pattern every now and then to rub over the sensitised peak causing a tremble of sensation. Iruka couldn't say how long this went on for. Once one of his nipples came even close to getting used to the action the warm hand would swap to the other one and continue its slow, teasing movements.

After a while, the rubbing was interspersed with small tugs, a pinch, or a roll, sometimes even a gentle flick. Iruka was still in the dopey throes of tiredness but now it was mingled with the haze of arousal. Small whimpers and moans started to escape from his lips and his breathing became faster. It appeared that Kakashi was in no hurry though. All his movements were slow, languid, and just light enough to leave Iruka sleepily wanting more. A part of him wondered if he'd actually fallen asleep and this was all a dream. If it was, he didn't want to wake up. His boxers had been awfully tight for awhile yet that hand showed no interest in anything but his chest and nipples.

Those talented fingers gave another tug, this time applying more pressure than before and Iruka let out a wanton moan, unable to stop from squirming slightly as the fingers moved to the other nipple and rolled it slowly.

"Kakashi," he whimpered and all movement of that pleasurable hand stopped.

"No, no," the deep voice whispered in his ear gently. "Not Kakashi. Just Kashi tonight. I like hearing you call me Kashi."

The lack of movement had Iruka squirming again, wanting the sensations to return. He would have rolled and looked at the older man but the arm over him was heavy and opening his eyes required far too much effort.

"Kashi?" he mumbled confused.

As soon as the name left his lips there was a satisfied hum next to his ear and fingers began to once again caress his highly sensitive nipples, starting off with a light scratch that had Iruka arching into the touch slightly.

A low chuckle sounded behind him and a hot tongue slowly ran up the back of his ear causing his breathing rate to speed up again. "Don't tense up. Relax, just relax for me."

The hand stroked slowly over his chest again, lulling him back into a dozy state of arousal, not waking him up completely but not letting him slip into slumber either. The arm under his head tensed with the body behind him and Iruka was drawn up into a sitting position. His t-shirt was pulled gently over his head and from his body. He tensed up and began to pull away as his back was pressed against the bare skin of Kakashi's chest but the arm around him was like a steel beam. His eyes opened as they lay back down again but with the heavy curtains drawn the room was incredibly dark. As he opened his mouth to protest, the older man began whispering in his ear and planting soft kisses on his skin as they returned to their previous position, the teasing hand stroked over his chest gently again.

"I love having your skin pressed up against mine. It's warm and soft."

The deep voice continued whispering how good he felt, how desirable he was, and how Kakashi wanted him as the large hand stroked gently until his eyes fluttered closed again and he relaxed. That clever hand then picked up right where it had left off, lazily teasing him back to a state of dazed arousal with light caresses to both nipples. Once Iruka was again panting and moaning; Kakashi trailed his hand lower for just a moment, tracing along the band of his uncomfortably tight boxers, but as soon as Iruka squirmed it retreated back to caress a nipple again.

"Now, now, none of that. Relax Iruka. Relax for me."

This scenario was repeated a few times until the pale hand was tracing along the band of the boxers and Iruka was left panting but not squirming, making sure he kept his muscles completely lax.

"That's perfect. You can make as much noise as you want, but no tensing."

The long fingers stroked and caressed the skin just above the band for what felt like the longest time, every now and then sliding beneath the elastic top a minute amount but still enough to have Iruka hardening almost painfully. When the fingers dipped beneath the waistband further and brushed across the tip of his erection Iruka couldn't help the tremble that ran through his body and the moan that escaped his lips. The hand paused where it was and brushed nails over the very tip in incredibly light strokes that had Iruka whimpering and moaning pleadingly.

"Kashi. Wha..?"

"Don't tense up, Ru. I'd hate to have to pull away right now. Deep breaths, stay nice and relaxed."

Oh Kami, that voice was not helping his situation right now. He tried to keep his muscles loose but a pair of lips pressed to his tense shoulder showed him where he was failing. Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly put him once more in a relaxed frame and Kakashi moved his hand lower.

"That's it, nice and loose."

Fingertips massaged the head of his length firmly, pressing into the groove underneath a little harder to stimulate all the extra hidden nerve endings and smearing the few drops of precum. Iruka knew he was at his limit already, the teasing being too much that just these few firm touches were enough to bring him to peak.

"Kashi," he moaned raggedly, "I'm… I'm going to-"

The deep voice interrupted him but the fingers didn't still their movements. "This is the most important part. You can't tense up. You have to keep everything absolutely relaxed so I want you to pretend you're asleep. Breathe deeply and pretend you're asleep now. Can you do that for me?"

"Yes."

Iruka took a deep breath and let it out slowly again, concentrating on all his muscles and loosening them. He did as Kakashi told him, pretending he was asleep. He felt his release creeping closer and closer but he forced himself to remain totally lax, just breathing regularly, and wondering why the older man was asking him to do this.

"Even when you think you're about to orgasm, don't tense up. I'll know if you do."

His orgasm was right there, that smooth voice pushing him to the very edge. He kept his breathing regular and concentrated solely on keeping all his muscles relaxed including the ones around his groin. This was the hardest as they all instinctively wanted to tense up but he overrode that urge through pure will power. He balanced on the cusp of orgasm for an achingly long time, the sensation building and building beyond any peak he'd reached before, thrilling him with how much higher it rose if he kept himself from tensing. Finally, he wasn't sure what happened, but the orgasm seemed to pass him by and he started coming back down again. This was confusing but hot lips were back on his shoulder and neck, kissing and licking while making approving noises.

"You did wonderfully, Ru. I'm so impressed. That was perfect."

Iruka was so confused. "I don't understand?"

There was a deep chuckle and the hand slipped lower to wrap around his whole length, causing the younger man to gasp and groan loudly. He couldn't believe it, his orgasm was building up again already, and Kakashi had barely started to move.

"The chemicals your body produces to reach orgasm are building up. The longer you can hold it off, the better it is when you do release. You had a small taste of how intense it can be earlier when I kept pulling back, but this will be much _much _better. Now, we're going to do it again. Trust me, sweetheart, this will be worth it."

Why the larger man had called him by such a personal endearment Iruka didn't know, but he liked it. It felt incredibly intimate.

"Same as last time, Ru. Pretend you're asleep. Relax everything and pretend you're asleep. You can do it again; I know you can. If you can do it again I'll do something I know you'll like," the promise was purred into his ear and didn't help his attempt to relax at all.

Iruka breathed deeply through his mouth and repeated the same technique he'd used last time. This time he peaked even higher than before and honestly thought he wouldn't be able to hold out. Kakashi had loosened his grip so it was just the barest of touch holding him on the absolute edge and somehow nudging him just a tad bit closer when he thought that would be impossible. Right when he was about to give in, the same sensation of the orgasm passing occurred and he started to come back down slowly, allowing himself to start panting a bit heavier and tremble from the sheer effort it had taken to remain relaxed.

"What is this?" he asked as Kakashi removed his hand from Iruka's boxers completely and rolled the smaller man onto his back. "I've never felt…"

Lips were all over his throat and chest. "Iruka, you have no idea how much I love seeing you like this, how impressed I am that you've been able to hold off twice." A lick slid over his thundering pulse point and fingers brushing over his incredibly sensitised nipples. "You're driving me mad. You're pushing my control as much as I'm pushing yours."

The hands dropped lower and pushed the boxers off Iruka's hips. Kakashi disappeared from above him and removed the last item of clothing from his body. A weight disappeared from the mattress and the sound of a curtain being pulled to the side reached his ears. He opened his eyes to find the room now bathed in the soft light filtering in from outside. The powerfully built man stalked lithely and silently back across the room toward him, beared in all his aroused naked glory. Iruka couldn't stop the tremor of excited fear that skittered through his body.

He rose up so he was resting back on his elbow and hoped he didn't look like the wide-eyed prey he felt when faced with this predator. Kakashi reached the edge of the bed and crawled toward and over him, the mattress dipping under his heavier weight, muscles shifting and bunching with every movement. Every movement was controlled; his balance perfect, his progress completely silent. This was a living breathing wolf in human skin. He was dangerous; Iruka knew it in the way his skin prickled and his heart fluttered. Kakashi came to a stop once they were eye to eye.

"Why do you look so nervous?" the large male asked, his tone deep and gravely.

Iruka swallowed and knew they were still under the agreement that he answer every question honestly.

"You're a dangerous man," he whispered and forced himself to keep eye contact, trying not to swallow too obviously.

The larger male gave a dark and sexy chuckle. "Only to those I don't like." The silver crowned head moved forward and a tongue flicked across full lips. "And I like you very," another slow lick, "very much." Lips met in a soft fleeting kiss before the pale ones pulled back enough to whisper, "You have nothing to fear from me, Ru. I won't hurt you."

_I'll protect you_, the older man thought possessively as he gently claimed the soft lips so close to his.

Iruka was forced to drop onto his back again as the pale man pressed into him. The kiss was over all too soon in his opinion, Kakashi pulling away to move down his body. Hot breath hit his painfully hard erection and Iruka looked down to see the mismatched eyes watching him intently. He was very aware that he'd not once done this for the older man but the idea really was daunting to him. He didn't find it disgusting at all, but the thought of going down on this experienced man and doing a terrible job was mortifying. He'd heard his friends joke about bad blowjobs and he didn't want to disappoint this gorgeous man who could so effortlessly bring him to the peak of pleasure. It was unfair on Kakashi that he keep doing it when Iruka had yet to reciprocate.

"Kashi, you don't have to keep doing that," he said nervously and reached down a hand toward the pale face to coax him back up for a kiss.

Kakashi's response was a narrowing of the mismatched eyes and an angry growl before the silver crowned head dropped and he was sucked hard into the sinfully talented mouth. Iruka slammed his head back onto the soft surface below him and released a resounding cry of pleasure. Teeth gently dragged up his length before he was swallowed and sucked hard again. A rough tongue swirled around him as he started to arch up off the bed but then a hand was pressed to his diaphragm, forcing him back down to lay flat again. The mouth released his erection and Kakashi was leaning over him, a large dark mass keeping him pinned to the bed.

"I don't _have_ to do anything with you, Iruka. I _want_ to and it's about time you accepted that." Kakashi lowered to lie next to him, the hand pressed to his diaphragm sliding downward to wrap around his straining length and massage it, pump it, and tease it mercilessly. "Earlier you described yourself as boring, plain, and poor," the hand dropped lower to cup the tightened testicles and expertly manipulate them as a finger pressed against his perineum, and the other hand took hold of a nipple and rolled, "but that's a lie. You're rich in your friends and the love shared between you and your brother. Boring? You've managed to capture my complete attention and worm your way into my thoughts."

The hand dropped lower again and slid into the crevice of his buttocks. A finger circled his tight opening, stimulating the hundreds of nerve endings, and causing shocked, dazed chocolate eyes to snap open wide and stare into mismatched ones. Iruka couldn't get enough oxygen, it wouldn't come into his lungs fast enough, and his head was getting incredibly light. One of his hands was fastened onto the elbow of the pale arm currently driving him so completely mindless while the other held on for dear life to one of those broad shoulders.

"And you are not plain." The words were growled in his ear. "You're the most beautiful fucking person I've ever met and damned if I won't prove it to you."

Kakashi captured the lips so close to his in a hard kiss and revelled in the wanton moan that escaped the younger man's throat. Iruka tasted so damn good it was driving him mad. His tongue pressed in and devoured the intoxicating flavour. This wasn't how he'd intended this session to go, it was supposed to be tender, relaxing, and calm but the damned teacher was too tempting. Too damn desirable. Too damn responsive. He wanted him, he wanted to bury himself in the smaller body, to feel those slender limbs wrap around him and tremble. To feel that tight heat he knew awaited encase his hardened length and-

_Stop it!_ He yelled at himself mentally just as he almost pushed his finger into the squirming body below him. _Stop it! It's too far, too fast for him. There's not even any lubricant! This isn't how it was supposed to go. Just because I can push him into sex doesn't mean I should. He doesn't deserve that._

The grip Iruka had on him was too tight, showing as much fear as there was arousal. The thin frame shook beneath him and the tanned man's breaths were too shallow and rapid. He had to slow this down. With more control than he thought he possessed he drew his hand away from Iruka's most intimate area, stroking a warm tense thigh instead while he gentled the kiss and slowed all his movements. He reigned in his need to dominate and control, raising his other hand to cup a tanned cheek gently and stroke it soothingly. Pulling away, he looked down into heavy lidded, glazed eyes and dropped his head to the tanned throat with a tortured moan.

"Gods, Iruka. You're driving me crazy."

The desperate tone of those words somehow managed to penetrate the lust-filled haze that had fogged Iruka's brain, bringing him back to a semi-sensible state. The large man next to him was tensed tight enough to snap and every muscle stood out with stark definition in the light filtering in from the window. Iruka knew that what Kakashi said was true, he was, unbelievably, driving the gorgeous man crazy. And he was shocked to discover that he _wanted to_. He wanted to touch that pale skin. He wanted to drive Kakashi crazy. He wanted to push him to the edge and make him lose his control like the older man had done to him twice. He wanted to drive Kakashi out of his mind and make him scream in orgasm. Every time they'd gotten into one of these situations, it had always been Kakashi that had controlled their pace, taking hold of their erections and stimulating them to release.

_My turn_.

Tanned hands released their tight grip on Kakashi's elbow and shoulder to caress over the pale skin with light fingertips. A hand flattened on the broad chest and pushed, urging the larger male onto his back. Kakashi raised curious eyes and obeyed the silent command.

"I'm not as skilled as you," came the softly spoken words to his sensitive ears, "and I admit that you're the only one I've ever had any experience with, but you _will_ lie there and let me do what I want." Kakashi growled appreciatively at the commanding tone as a hot tongue ran over the pulse point of his neck and up to his ear. "I want to drive you crazy." Nimble fingers captured one of his pale pink nipples and began to tug, causing him to release a throaty moan. "You've been doing all the work, been taking all the control." Sharp teeth latched onto his throat for a moment, drawing out a gasp, before releasing and soothing with a gentle kiss. "Not this time." Those lips began to kiss and lick a trail down his neck and chest. "This time it's my turn." He looked down into dark eyes as they rose to meet his mismatched ones. They speared him with a fiercely determined gaze filled with heat. That look went directly to his already painfully aroused groin. "So, stop being so fucking controlling."

The full lips latched onto one of his nipples as a warm hand wrapped around his stiff erection. Oh Kami, that felt so damn good! His head fell back as he gave up all control to the smaller man and released a long pleasure filled groan. Holy hell, the teacher had learnt quickly. The hand held him firmly as it massaged and pumped him with a steady rhythm. The mouth alternated from sucking to nipping with strong teeth and laving with a wet tongue. Other areas were assaulted by that curious mouth. His stomach muscles were explored as was the rest of his chest. Kakashi thought for a moment that Iruka might try to take his exploration further south when he dipped a tongue into his belly button and played with the light silver hairs that trailed down to where his hand was doing such an excellent job.

After a brief hesitation, the smaller man's lips travelled back up and Kakashi really couldn't find it in himself to be too disappointed as they covered his lips and a tongue dipped into his mouth. This was just fine by him. A familiar tightening began to coil in his groin as he was pushed closer and closer to the edge. His breathing became heavier and he soon had to break the intense kiss to wrap his arms around the younger man and pull him close. The chocolate strands smelt so good and the buried his face in the silky mass and the tanned neck. Kakashi bit down on the soft skin and sucked it into his mouth, loving the loud surprised moan he drew from Iruka. His hands ran over the lithe body and an idea formed in his head as a finger brushed over the scarred edge of the younger man's back. He ran his hand boldly and firmly over the damaged skin and felt the immediate tensing of the muscles beneath.

"Wai-"

"Gods Ru, you're going to make me come," he groaned huskily against the long throat. "You feel so incredibly good."

The younger man's breathing increased immediately and the small frame gave an almost violent tremble at his words. He ran both his hands over the scarred back making sure he brushed all the sensitive points he'd found on the plane.

"I can't get enough of touching you." The hand around his erection started to pull faster and the angle added a slight twist that had him panting and moaning in earnest. "Kiss me," he panted out. "Kiss me while I come."

There was a helpless whimper from Iruka, which would have had him smirking if he hadn't been on the edge of what was building up to be one hell of an orgasm. Full lips brushed over his cheek before they slid over his thin ones almost desperately. He slipped his tongue into the dark wet depth and drank in that flavour he just couldn't get enough of. His last coherent thought before he crested into release was to run his hands over the damaged back and hold the smaller man close. The orgasm shuddered through his body and he plundered the mouth against his almost brutally.

As he began to come down, he wrapped his hand around the tanned one still pleasuring him and showed the younger man how he liked to be finished with light low strokes that sent tingling aftershocks up his spine. Finally he was completely finished, gentling the kiss before pulling back, and looking into amazed, dazed and heavily lust clouded eyes. They were both panting and Kakashi felt his face soften into that special smile that seemed to be for Iruka alone.

"That was incredible, Ru. Thank you."

He watched as the dark eyes looked down to see their coated stomachs and chests, silky brows dipping curiously. Of all the things he'd expected Iruka to do then, dipping two of his slender fingers into Kakashi's seed splattered on his chest and sucking them into his mouth in an almost curiously innocent gesture was not one of them. If he hadn't already orgasmed, he knew he would have at that sight.

"You little tease," he ground out before dragging the teacher in for another kiss and plunging his tongue in to taste himself mixed with Iruka's own unique flavour. It tasted really damn _good_.

Breaking the kiss when he felt a rather strained erection pressed against him unconsciously, he didn't say anything or give any warning to the younger man. He just moved down the flushed body and sucked the hard length into his mouth again. He'd had enough of teasing the teacher, now he wanted to watch him scream as he came hard.

Iruka had no idea why this time was different to the others but whatever it was Kakashi was suddenly doing with his tongue had him fisting the sheets and crying out incoherently. Holy hell, he'd never felt anything like this before! What was being done to him by that insanely talented mouth was going to have him peaking in no time. His release rushed quickly upon him and there was no way he could have held it off or stopped even if he tried. If Kakashi was to pull away again like he had done earlier in the day Iruka knew he would come anyway. It seemed, however, that Kakashi had no intention of revisiting old play.

He felt himself harden impossibly further, the tight coiling in his lower abdomen so intense it was almost frightening. With a deep gasp, his back arched off the bed and he curled into an semi-sitting position as he hit the very crest of peak arousal. His hands buried into the soft silver hair and gripped tightly. An extra hard suck and a finger suddenly sliding between his cheeks again to rub against his most intimate opening pushed him over the edge with a loud and desperate scream. He fell back to the mattress only to arch again as his whole body seemed to pulsate helplessly with the release. He knew he was still screaming but didn't care; he couldn't control it so he just rode it out in a white haze until the sensations lessened and he was left gasping in oxygen.

The large body crawled back up to him and strong arms enveloped him in warmth. Kakashi was whispering huskily in his ear but he couldn't make sense of the words as the exhaustion from the day caught up and flooded over him. Darkness rose and he didn't fight it, rather opting to trust that he was safe with Kakashi and that he could sleep soundly without fear. Just as he was slipping under, soothed further by the deep, gentle voice whispering to him, a single word made it through the haze.

"Mine."

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**AN: Damn sex scene ran away on me. It wasn't originally going to be that long but my brain decided to vomit… Ahem, sorry, 'expel' out a bit more than I thought it would. Seriously, the section where Iruka gets Kakashi off was as much a surprise to me as it was for you. **

**So anyway, I've been plugging this story in my other fiction so I might as well plug that one here. Go read I've Got You. It's awesome like a hotdog!**

**If you know where the awesome like a hotdog joke comes from you get a free internet cookie and can take my beta, ReixGarra, home to put on your wall! HURRAH! I'm sure Meg's going to slap me for that one.**

**Edited July 2010: because my formatting's a mess**


	6. Bath Time

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I did make the boys lunch though.**

**ReixGaara**** and Meuin are the betas for my story and I appreciate their help no end!**

**This chapter is dedicated to the darling Saelani… Now will you please stop holding the translation to Monster's Paradise for ransom? ^_^;;**

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**Ladies and Gentlemen, this is your Overlord speaking. As we begin our decent into this Cerebral Expulsion please ensure that all jaws are in the upright and locked position, and there is a handy supply of tissues near by. The consumption of hot beverages is not recommended during the reading of this chapter and electronic equipment should now be safely stowed away from the Drool Zone. Thank you and have a pleasant read. Overlord out.**

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**Stranger Situations**

**Chapter 6: Bath Time**

"Excuse me, miss."

The hospital's front counter lady looked up and felt her eyes widening at the sight before her. The man was absolutely beautiful. Beautiful was not a word she would normally use to describe a man, but in this case, the term was fitting. He had incredible flawless pale skin and the most stunning almond shaped obsidian eyes. His hair was long and jet-black, pulled into a low tail with strands framing his face enticingly. He was tall and slender, but she could see there was elegance and strength about him. It was in the subtle ways his frame shifted.

"Oh, good morning. Can I help you?" she asked politely, hoping that her momentary pause while she'd taken in his appearance hadn't been too long and wouldn't be considered rude.

"Yes, can you please give me the room number for Uchiha Sasuke? Though, he may be entered into your system as Sasuke Uchiha."

That voice was just lovely, very melodic, but for some reason it seemed cold. Polite but almost uncaring. It caused a small shiver to run down her spine and she quickly turned to her computer to look up the requested name.

"Could you spell that for me please?" The man did and she found the necessary room number. "Here we are, Sasuke Uchiha is in room 216. That's on the second floor in the West Wing. If you head down the corridor to your left you'll find the elevators."

"Thank you."

Without another word or sparing her another look, the man moved off in the direction given. A nearby nurse came over and leaned on the counter; both women watching the stunning man walk away with graceful strides.

"Who was _that_?" the nurse asked in obvious admiration.

"I don't know. He's off to visit someone in room 216. My goodness but he's a pretty one."

**…**

The sound of running water invaded Iruka's slumber and he slowly began to stir awake. Mumbling something incoherent and snuggling further into the pillows, he tried to stay in his lovely warm world just a little while longer. The shower sounded awfully strange though, it wasn't often Naruto was up before him to use the bathroom. Perhaps Sasuke had stayed over last night. Their young friend usually got up quite early if he had to go into the office. Seeing as his alarm hadn't gone off yet it meant it was either a weekend or he was awake too early. If his alarm wasn't blaring at him he'd just stay right here until forced to get up. He didn't remember his bed being this comfortable before, or his bedding this soft. For some reason he felt magnificently relaxed and he was quite happy to have a sleep in.

It was blissful. He stretched out his legs and gave a content sigh. Sadly, the content sigh turned into a pained hiss as a twinge of pain shot through his back and shocked him into the world of the wakeful. Damn that hurt! What had he done yesterday to cause this? Memories of a gorgeous naked man wrapped around him and heated kissed hit him at the same time as he opened his eyes and took in his opulent surrounds.

California, Naruto in hospital, miserable handbag dogs, hollandaise sauce, damn sexy Kakashi! The world fell into place as he remembered what had happened the day before and suddenly his back hurting so badly made perfect sense. Not only had he walked around too much with the market, hospital, and that stroll along the beach, but the bedroom activities he and Kakashi had gotten up to last night wouldn't have helped the situation either. Iruka blushed hotly as vivid images filled his mind and he turned his face into his pillow to muffle a groan.

It had been one of the best nights of his life, filled with sensuality, sensations, and pleasure. It had been-

"Oh ouch." He groaned as another spike of pain shot up his spine.

It had been really bad for his back. He was going to have a rough day and it just had to be when Kakashi was around. It would be hard enough facing the man that morning without blushing to death, now he'd have to do it while hiding winces as well. Damn, what was he going to do? Maybe he could just lie still and pretend to sleep until the older man left, but that might not be for hours and if he didn't get under a hot shower soon to loosen up his muscles things would just get worse. There was no way he was about to go crawling out of bed and hobbling into the bathroom like an old man though. Especially not when he was still naked!

Realisation clicked in his head as he fully comprehended the fact that he was actually still naked, which meant he'd slept the night naked… in Kakashi's arms… naked. He looked down and noticed that the evidence of Kakashi's orgasm last night had been cleaned off him, which meant the older man had done it… while he was sleeping and naked. Again, he turned his face into the pillow to muffle a groan. How did he keep ending up in these messes?

The bathroom door opened and Iruka froze, closing his eyes, still not sure how he should deal with the situation. The decision was made for him when the bedside lamp clicked on, the bed dipped under a heavy weight, and long fingers ran through his hair.

"You can stop pretending now. I heard you wake up a few minutes ago," Kakashi's rich voice rumbled above him, full of amusement.

Iruka felt himself flush again and he opened his eyes to smile sheepishly up at the silver haired man. Aw hell, Kakashi was dressed only in the low slung black pants again with his usually unruly hair mussed from sleep and looking down right sexy. Why did this man have to be so tempting?

"Morning," he mumbled and pushed some hair from his face. The movement of his arm caused another shock of pain and he couldn't hide the wince, though he did try.

The left eye was covered and the grey one narrowed at him assessing. "How bad is it?"

With a sigh, Iruka figured there was no point in lying. Besides, he was still under the agreement to answer all questions.

"Bad. Not the worst it's ever been, but sore. I just need to have a hot shower and loosen up the muscles. A couple of pain killers wouldn't go astray either."

The silver crowned head nodded before the thin lips split into a mischievous smile. "I have a better idea. Stay there."

The tall man wandered back across the room and disappeared into the adjoining bathroom. The sound of cupboards opening and water running drifted out before Kakashi reappeared, carrying a glass of water and an unidentified bottle. Iruka was more focused on the lithe movements of that superbly muscled body though. Even the way he casually wandered around early in the morning was perfectly controlled and unconsciously displayed strength and agility. It was truly a sight to behold and absolutely breathtaking. Kakashi was too damn gorgeous for his own good, and the bastard knew it too if the grin he was sending Iruka was any indication.

_Stupid revealing face_. He grumbled to himself mentally, sure that Kakashi had known every thought that just passed through his mind.

Placing the bottle on the bedside table the older man smiled down at him, amusement shining from his eye. "Where are your pills?"

"Oh, um… side pocket of my duffle bag I think. Unless they were unpacked too."

Kakashi went to the wardrobe and returned with the bottle of pills in his hand. He waited as Iruka slowly positioned himself so he could take the pills without choking and gladly accepted two, popping them into his mouth before taking the glass of water handed to him and drinking them down gratefully.

"Thank you so much." Iruka smiled warmly. "My stomach's empty so it won't take long for them to kick in. I'm just going to lie here until they do unless you needed me to vacate quickly this morning?"

"Not at all. In fact, I need you to lie on your stomach for me."

Those simple words caused Iruka's whole body to tense, his heart to jolting along with his spine. He released a pain-filled hiss and took a deep breath to steady himself, forcibly relaxing his muscles again. There were warm hands on his shoulders steadying him and Iruka cracked open an eye he didn't remember closing to look into the handsome face watching him with concern.

"Sorry. The whole back exposed, face down, defenceless thing kinda causes me to tense up." He gave a small smile. "Ingrained reaction."

The soft smile Kakashi gave him made Iruka feel foolish and understood at the same time. The older man just leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on his surprised lips, causing his face to flush pink. It wasn't like Kakashi had never kissed him before; it was just that every time he did Iruka honestly didn't think he'd do it again. Shouldn't the man be bored of him by now? Especially considering that since he'd met the mysterious character a few days ago he'd needed his help almost constantly (though unwillingly). That was embarrassing enough in itself, but he really hadn't expected Kakashi to want him to hang around for as long as he had.

Pale, elegant fingers threaded through his hair and cupped the back of his head. "I know it's hard for you, but I promise it'll be worth it." The bottle from the bedside table was suddenly dangling in front of his nose, the words 'Vanilla Massage Oil' printed across its label. "I'm _very_ good."

Iruka had to stop the tremble threatening to run down his spine from that purred promise. He looked at the man who was giving him the attractive curvy-eyed smile and contemplated the unusual personality. He just didn't understand why Kakashi was helping him out so much.

"Why are you doing this?" he asked, eyebrows dipped in a curious manner. "Is it because Sasuke asked you to watch over me?"

"Nope," was the happy reply, the smile not faltering for a second, "it's because I want to."

"And you only ever do what you want," Iruka answered with a tolerant grin, remembering the words from the plane and last night. Still, why anyone would want to touch his back other than to leave a new mark was beyond him. It looked horrible, the skin was all tough, and what it represented was ghastly. It really was disgusting.

"It's not to me," Kakashi said softly and slowly ran his hand from Iruka's hair down over the damaged skin of his back.

The sensation made him want to instinctively lean away but he forced himself to be still and accept the gentle touch instead. Sending a wary smile to the gorgeous man, he huffed in mock annoyance.

"You really can tell what I'm thinking. You know, that's kinda creepy."

Kakashi just grinned at him and dangled the bottle of oil again. "So, what do you say?"

Iruka looked between the bottle and the handsome man holding it contemplatively. "I have always wanted to try it. I've never had a massage before."

The older man gaped at him and Iruka cracked up laughing at the incredibly uncharacteristic expression on that usually perfectly composed face.

"You're serious? Your back's that damaged and you've _never_ had a massage?" Kakashi asked incredulously.

"Nope." Iruka chuckled, still amused by the look on the handsome features. "Naruto sucks at it and he's the only one I've ever trusted enough to touch. I swear, the times he's tried, I was in worse pain after than I was before. He really is hopeless. In the first year after the Warden was replaced I had some help while I was learning how to walk again, but that was more muscle manipulation than massage and the physio had such a hard time getting me to relax enough so she could actually do any work."

Even though Iruka said all that with a smile on his face and in an amused voice, Kakashi still looked at him with a very serious grey eye.

"You said last night that you feel safe with me," the warm hand stroked gently over his damaged skin again, "and I've told you that I'll never hurt you. I can help you to loosen things up if you'll let me. Do you want to give it a shot?"

Iruka took a deep breath. "Yeah."

He carefully moved until he was settled on his front, keeping the blankets tightly tucked around his hips and a good eye on the older man's movements. He needn't have worried though as Kakashi began talking him through everything he was doing, from letting Iruka know that he was warming the oil in his hands to warning him when he was going to first touch his back.

Kakashi watched the muscles quiver beneath the damaged skin as he first placed his oil covered hands on the scars. He paused briefly, allowing Iruka to take a few calming deep breaths, before beginning to rub his hands over the surface and spread the oil around. He talked the nervous man through all his movements, from getting more oil to whether he would be rubbing his upper or lower back. After a few minutes of just running his hands over the damaged skin and allowing Iruka to become accustomed to the feeling of someone touching such a guarded area, the younger man finally started to relax. He knew the best thing was to keep talking and reassuring the smaller male, but he wanted Iruka to relax properly and that wouldn't happen if he only spoke about his back. It would be more the sound of his voice that would reassure the skittish teacher than what he was actually saying.

"Have you ever been to France?" he asked as he set to work properly, beginning to knead the muscles around the neck and shoulders.

"No. This is my first trip out of Japan, but I've always wanted to go to Europe. The pictures you see in books are just so beautiful."

"I was in Paris a few months ago…" Kakashi began telling him about what he'd seen in the city. He chatted amiably about the people, food, buildings, the fashion, and the street vendors and cafés. Just simple stories and observations told in a low, soothing voice with no real purpose other than to put Iruka at ease. It worked. The muscles beneath his hands gradually lost their tension and eventually the chocolate eyes even drifted closed. While a small portion of his mind was on what he was saying, the majority was on what he was doing.

He mentally mapped the scar network on Iruka's back and categorised each one. There were whip marks, burns (the one Iruka had told him about last night as well as a number of smaller cigarette burns), a disturbing number of slice marks (from scalpels to serrated kitchen knives) and numerous others, some he could identify the source of and others he couldn't. The thickness of the scar tissue was what disturbed him the most though. There were layers of it and he knew that what he was seeing was only the last batch of wounds to be inflicted. Scars upon scars. Kakashi was glad Iruka had closed his eyes because while his voice was controlled and calm he knew the anger would be showing on his face. It took a right sick bastard to do something like this to a child… to anyone. It made him furious.

Sections of the spine were slightly out of place, the muscle on one side or the other having tensed up so much that it was slowly pushing it out of joint. He diligently worked on these areas, slowly loosening and softening the muscle and pressing on certain pressure points to increase blood flow or to momentarily numb a certain section so he could work on it more vigorously without causing pain. Even through all his contemplation and anger, he couldn't stop the satisfied smirk when Iruka first let out a moan of pleasure.

"Oooh that feels amazing." The tanned man sighed happily. "Do it again?"

Kakashi chuckled. "Your wish is my command."

As the massage moved on Iruka began to make more and more appreciative noises and gradually Kakashi's mind was dragged away from contemplating the damaged skin to contemplating the man that suffered it. The sensei really was a marvel. There were very few people in this world that could have gone through what he did and come out even remotely balanced at the end. Kind, gentle, responsible, and determined with a wicked wit and – if Sasuke's panicked confession yesterday was anything to judge from – a fierce temper. Inquisitive, curious, defensive, and independent coupled with fairness and compassion. He was also incredibly inexperienced, naïve, and had the lowest self-image of anyone Kakashi had ever met, which was sad because the young man was very attractive. It was a crime that he seemed to think so little of himself, but if that meant Kakashi could be the first to touch him and teach him about pleasure… well he wasn't complaining about that. Not at all.

Heaven. Iruka was in heaven. Even though he only had Naruto's horrible attempts to compare it with, he knew Kakashi hadn't been boasting when he'd said he was good. He could feel muscles loosening and relaxing under that firm and coaxing touch. The rich, smooth voice flowed over him along with those magic hands and lulled his body into a deep sense of relaxation. Even his eyes were closed and every now and then a little sigh or moan would escape his throat in his appreciation for the older man's ministrations. His mind, however, remained sharp. It wasn't that he thought Kakashi would hurt him; he just refused to let down his guard completely. The stories about Paris were also very interesting and he was enjoying the businessman's observations on the famous city. There was a question playing on his mind though. As Kakashi finished telling him about some strange green drink called 'Absinth', which was apparently very potent, Iruka figured this was as good a time as any.

"Why doesn't it bother you?" he asked quietly as he opened an eye, wanting to watch the older man's reaction.

"Well, when I was in the army our Sergeant came staggering in from a nearby town waving around a bottle of the stuff and going on about some green fairy. We all tried some and let's just say the 20 mile hike the next day was much slower than it should have been with people nipping off into the bushes to throw up every few minutes." Kakashi chuckled and shook his head. "My God, you have no idea how much we stank by the time we got to our next site. The enemy must have thought we were using chemical warfare."

Iruka couldn't help but laugh at the mental image that produced. Kakashi smiled down at him and worked a set of muscles under the burn scar by his hip.

"I know that's not what you're asking." The smile had fallen from the handsome features and the grey eye because serious, causing Iruka's laughter to drift off. "I'd be lying if I told you it doesn't bother me, it does. A lot. But, not for the reasons you think. The only thing that bothers me about these scars is that you had to endure so much and there was no one there to protect you. That this kind of thing was done to children. It bothers me that there are sick people like this out in the world and you've known more pain than most people will in ten life times."

Iruka bit his lip and forced himself to keep breathing. This was not the answer he'd been expecting. The older man frowned down at his back and rubbed soothing hands over the slightly tensed muscles.

"It's not your scars that bother me, Iruka; it's the thought of the people who gave them to you. If nothing else, these scars show how strong and incredible you are for going through an experience like that and not giving up on life. Despite all the shit you were dealt, you've become one of the best people I think I've ever met, and I admire you for that."

By this time, Iruka didn't think he could talk if he tried. There was a lump in his throat and it was difficult to swallow around it. Kakashi just looked at him with absolute sincerity and leaned down to kiss the damaged skin gently. As the older man straightened up again Iruka shifted carefully, realising that his back was no longer hurting. It actually felt better than it had in a long time, as did he. Sitting up and making sure the blankets still covered his nakedness, he reached out and drew the tall figure into a hug, wrapping his thin arms around the broad chest to pull himself close. Warmth wrapped around him along with the older man's arms.

"Thank you, Kakashi," he murmured into the pale skin before pulling back and giving a warm, slightly sad smile. "That's something I didn't even realise I needed to hear."

Kakashi couldn't bring himself smile back, he just held the chocolate gaze and lifted a hand to brush dark strands back from Iruka's face. By Kami, those eyes would be the end of him. They were so warm, so incredibly honest, and trusting. No wonder Sasuke had come to love and be so protective of this man. He'd only known the teacher for a few days and already he wanted to keep him safe from all the hurt in the world.

He didn't like where his thoughts were taking him. He needed to break the mood before he did something really stupid. Leaning forwards, he brushed his nose against the small, slightly upturned one, and forced his face into a playful smile.

"I have a surprise for you," he murmured in a low, silky voice.

It took Iruka a moment to process what Kakashi was saying, it was so hard to think when the gorgeous man moved in close with that tempting mouth. "Huh?"

The larger male just smirked and moved a warm hand from his face to sneak under the covers.

"H-hey wait a minute!" Iruka yelped as the arm slipped beneath his knees and the other arm tightened its hold around his back. He tried to pull his legs from the grasp but to no avail. "What are you doi- Oi!"

He grasped onto the broad shoulders as strong arms hoisted him easily upward and the blankets fell away to leave him fully exposed. The younger man blushed bright red as the older strode across the room chuckling in amusement.

"Would you bloody put me down! I'm kinda naked here!" He glared angrily at the pale face and the glare only darkened when Kakashi leered down at him.

"No need to be shy, sensei. I'll be naked in a moment too."

"Wha…"

As they entered the bathroom Iruka's voice drifted off when he saw the large bath filled with steaming water and a soft vanilla scent wafted in the air. The view out the large windows lining the wall of the bathroom was not what he'd expected at all. It was raining heavily and there looked to be quite a wind blowing if the choppy ocean waves were any indication. The pale grey light coming through the window when combined with the heavenly sight and scent of that huge bath had Iruka wriggling and smiling delightedly despite himself.

"Ooh," he breathed and Kakashi again chuckled.

"Thought you'd like it. You looked like you wanted to give the tub a kiss when you saw it yesterday. Got a thing for baths, Ru?"

Before Iruka could answer, a loud knock echoed through the suite and the younger man stiffened. Kakashi just frowned and sighed in annoyance. Some people really did have the lousiest timing. He gently placed Iruka's feet on the ground and gave him a playful smack on his cinnamon toned behind.

"You jump in. I'll be back in a second." The older man walked from the bathroom leaving a hotly blushing and very naked teacher alone. "Keep the water warm for me."

Iruka stood frozen until he heard the bedroom door close and finally the blood began feeding his brain again rather than just colouring his skin. Did he actually do as requested and get into the bath? Wait there naked until the older man came back and joined him? His stomach fluttered at the idea of doing something like that. It just seemed so… exposing. But damn the water looked good, really, _really_ good and he just couldn't pass up an opportunity to have a soak in the biggest bath he'd ever seen! Nope, there was no way he was going to give up the opportunity.

Decision made, he first of all made a quick trip to the toilet and then scrubbed his teeth to fend off the evilness that was morning breath. He also ducked quickly into the shower to wash the remnants of oil from his back and hair. Finally, finally it was time to take that glorious step forward and revel in the bliss that is a hot bath while cold rain is pouring outside.

**…**

Whoever was at the door were about to have their arse handed to them on a silver platter for interrupting his bath time with the hot little teacher. Kakashi was not happy at all as he stalked through his suite to the main door. He only paused to snatch up a towel to try to clean the oil from his hands. Not bothering to grab a shirt, he strode to the wooden barrier and wrenched it open with a dark glare fixed in place.

On the other side of the door stood David Matherson, the hotel's manager, with hand raised and ready to knock again. At Kakashi's rather aggressive appearance, the toupeed man 'meeped' and backed up a step in surprise. This did actually amuse Kakashi for a second before he remembered the man's pompous attitude the day before and the fact that there was a honey-toned body waiting for him in a large vat of fragrant water.

"Yes?" he bit out, annoyance evident in his voice as Matherson stood staring at him with wide eyes and mouth agape.

After a few seconds, the manager seemed to collect his thoughts and hurriedly started stammering. "Oh, goo- good morning, Mr. Hatake. I trust you slept well?" Matherson's eyes locked onto the large mark Iruka had left on his pale shoulder and blushed an interesting shade of pink.

Kakashi couldn't help himself. He smirked in a very self-satisfied way and leaned lazily against the doorframe.

"Hmm, it was a very _pleasant_ night. It was looking to be a pleasant morning too." The scowl was suddenly back in full force. "What do you want?"

Matherson was now a strange mottled blend of red and pink. "I-I, my wife and I were wanting- HOPING! *Ahem* hoping that you could join us for breakfast on the roof this morning."

Kakashi cocked an eyebrow. "No thank you. I have something that requires my immediate attention first. My guest and I will be having breakfast in the restaurant this morning, but I am not interested in further company. I will, however, be coming to your office after breakfast to see how the hotel is faring. Ensure there is a car on standby for Mr. Umino when he requires it."

"Of course, sir. The hotel's services are at Mr. Umino's full disposal," Matherson assured quickly and managed to summon up a wide fake smile even though the red was steadily swallowing the pink on his face. "I will eagerly await your company in my office."

"Good, I'll be seeing you later then." Kakashi straightened from his slouched position and began to close the door, but paused as the manager started to stutter a polite farewell. Cutting through whatever it was the man was saying Kakashi fixed him again with a hard grey eye. "Oh and Matherson, we'll be discussing how you greeted Mr. Umino in the foyer yesterday. All patrons should be welcomed through the doors, not just those that fit a certain image."

With that, he closed the door as the red hue to Matherson's gaping face rapidly began to turn white. He smirked as he made his way back through the suite to the bathroom. It would be good to let the man sweat it out for the next few hours, the tension and fear that Kakashi was going to reprimand him severely would be punishment enough. Matherson wasn't a bad manager; in fact, he was very honest and fair with the employees. He was just too pompous and judgemental… and had lousy timing. The only reason he wanted Kakashi to join him for breakfast was to be seen eating with him and boost his own image. Kakashi wasn't interested in playing those sorts of games. He preferred a low profile and never allowed anyone to use him for their own petty ego.

All thoughts of the manager and most things in general flew right out of his head when he reached the bathroom door and was just in time to see Iruka taking his first step into the large tub. His mouth went dry at the image of the naked man's body outlined against the rain splattered windows; quickly he pulled off the silk wrap covering his left eye. The teacher must have showered because his skin glistened with moisture. Iruka was so small but beautifully proportioned. The warm skin tones, large eyes, and the shiny wet curtain of dark hair made him appear as a spirit from the forest. A creature who could, with one smouldering gaze, lure hardened men into the darkest black of the woods then have his way with them.

One long leg descended towards the water and a slender foot sank below the surface as wisps of steam curled around the limb. Slowly, the honey-skinned man lowered himself into the fragrant liquid. Just like Kakashi had envisioned the day before, Iruka's face tinted slightly pink across the scar as he released a satisfied sigh and sank to his shoulders.

"Oooh, I'm in heaven," moaned the gentle voice while the dark head tipped backwards to rewet long hair and the tanned column of Iruka's throat was stretched and exposed. Kakashi forced down a hungry growl as certain parts of his anatomy responded to the seductively innocent show.

_Not yet you're not_, he thought, pushing his pants off his hips and kicking them aside before stalking silently across the tiled floor, b_ut you will be soon_.

**…**

Of all the luxuries in the world, this was by far the best. Better than any car, TV, or even Jasmine bubble tea (and that's a big call to make!). Baths were absolute bliss. The hot water lapped around his body like a gentle caress, relieving the weight from his back, and making him want to moan with pleasure… so he did. Sliding his way over to the windows he looked out at the grey sky, wondering what had happened to the nice weather. It had been sunny and warm the day before.

"This is what San Francisco weather is usually like," murmured a deep voice in his ear as strong arms wrapped around his waist. "We were lucky yesterday."

Iruka let out a very undignified yelp and jolted with shock as he was pulled back against a warm, muscular chest. Thank goodness Kakashi had given him a massage earlier or he would have just about crippled his back! As it was, there was no pain at all.

"Holy heart failure, you scared the shit outta me!" He clutched one hand over his thundering heart and elbowed one of the pale biceps, turning to glare at the grinning git over his shoulder. "Do you have to keep sneaking up on me like that?"

The older man just gave him an innocent look and nuzzled into his neck. "You're just so adorable when flustered."

"I am not _adorable_! And what if one day I react badly and punch you in your pretty face?" Iruka snapped angrily.

Kakashi, damn his gorgeous hide, just chuckled and cuddled him closer. "If you ever manage to punch me in the face, Ruka, I'll be mightily impressed."

The man was insufferable. "Cocky bastard," he grumbled even as he relaxed back into solid body behind him. "Anyone ever told you that you're disgustingly overconfident?"

"Yeah, but then I kicked their arse."

Iruka couldn't help but laugh as Kakashi sat and leaned against the side of the tub, settling the smaller man into his lap. He could feel the older man's arousal pressing against his spine, thick and long. It still baffled him that this striking man wanted him. But, while he couldn't understand Kakashi's attraction, he could accept it. He was good at accepting things he didn't understand, that was why Sasuke was able to become a part of their family without them knowing anything of his 'other life'. At least he felt comfortable enough with Kakashi to have the man behind him. That certainly said a lot about how the silver haired stranger had managed to sidle into his confidence. The rain pelted against the windows with a steady beat, filling the silence in the opulent bathroom.

"There's just something so nice about being warm when it's raining outside." The teacher sighed in contentment.

They watched the rain in silence for a moment while enjoying the warm soak. As Iruka rested against that solid frame, he began to wonder how the boys were doing. If they were awake yet and been checked over by the doctors. Did Naruto sleep alright without him during the night and was Sasuke feeling well enough to eat breakfast that morning? Thoughts of the young Uchiha took him back to how angry Sasuke had been when he'd seen the hickey, and how darkly he'd glared at Iruka's announcement that he'd be staying with Kakashi for the next few days. It worried him that being with Kakashi upset his young friend. While Sasuke was healing, it was important that he wasn't put under any unnecessary pressure. Naruto was oblivious to his and Kakashi's attraction to each other, but Iruka couldn't help but worry over what his little brother's reaction would be if he found out.

"I can smell burning. What's going on in that head of yours?"

With a sigh the younger man raised a hand from the scented water and reached back to play with the remarkable silver hair, smiling as the business tycoon leaned into the touch like a dog.

"Need you even ask? I thought you could read my mind."

"I can read your face, Iruka, and I can't see that at the moment." The older man chuckled as he nuzzled the tanned wrist. "What are you thinking about?"

Biting his lip, Iruka wondered how to best word his worries without causing offence. "What we're doing… I don't think it's a smart move on my behalf."

"Hm?"

He swallowed and dropped his hand from the silver head behind. "Sasuke wasn't happy about us meeting and he knows you're the one who marked my neck. The last thing I want is to upset him when he's trying to heal in hospital. I also don't want to cause any tension in your relationship with him. He's angry, but not so much that he won't cool down quickly if we part ways. I can't help but wonder if that's what would be best."

Thin lips brushed across his shoulder and began nibbling on the skin gently. Iruka took a deep breath as his skin broke into goose bumps despite the hot water. One of the hands that had been resting on his waist slid upwards, smoothing over sensitised skin and causing light tremors to run through his system.

"You can't let someone else dictate your life. What do _you_ want, Iruka? Do you want to stop?"

That voice and those hands moved over him gently, the body behind was so solid and warm. Iruka was no fool, he knew the infatuation Kakashi had for him wouldn't last long. What they were doing would only be for the duration they were both in America or until the older man became bored with his damaged body and moved on. But, he wanted it. This was the only chance he had to be with someone that could see past his scars. That could see him. Even if it ended tomorrow… today he wanted it.

"No," he whispered and turned his head, his lips toward the ones he so desired. "Heaven help me, I don't want to stop."

With a low hum of satisfaction, Kakashi captured his lips. Iruka turned his body, the large hands assisting him, until he was sitting sideways on the older man's lap and he could wrap his arms around the broad shoulders. He pulled himself flush against the powerful frame and deepened the kiss almost needily. Sliding his tongue against the warm lips he was immediately granted access and a tongue came out to twine with his eagerly. Kakashi was letting him lead, allowing him to set the pace, and encouraging him with low moans and gentle hands.

Pulling back from the kiss, Iruka rose slightly and shifted his legs until he straddled the older man. Kakashi grasped him by the hips and pulled him close, their hardened members brushing and Iruka keened in the back of his throat. Burying his fingers in the soft silver strands, he tilted the handsome pale face, sliding his lips back over the welcoming pair and moaning as a tongue entered his mouth. The strong hands on his hips slid lower and grasped his cheeks, digging in blunt nails and causing Iruka to buck into the hot body below with a moan. With a deep groan, Kakashi pulled him forwards again while thrusting at the same time. Iruka pulled out of the kiss as pleasure pooled in his groin.

"Aahhh!" the smaller man cried out, his voice echoing around the bathroom.

"Iruka," Kakashi groaned, latching his mouth onto the tanned neck and biting down lightly.

As the sinfully talented mouth set to work on his throat an idea entered Iruka's mind, if he was living on borrowed time with this gorgeous man then he wanted to try something. Even if it went horribly wrong and he ended up embarrassing himself, he wanted to try.

"Kakashi," he coaxed the other man up until he was looking into those beautiful mismatched eyes, "I…" He blushed a deep crimson all the way down to his chest. "I want to try something."

The silver eyebrows furrowed as pale hands came up to frame his face. "What is it, Ru?"

Rubbing nervously at his scar, Iruka opened his mouth to make his request but just couldn't while Kakashi was looking at him. As childish as it might have seemed, he just couldn't say it face to face. Instead, he wrapped his arms back around the pale neck and leaned forwards until his lips were next to the older man's ear.

"I… I want t-to try what you, ah… what you do to me."

_Oh, brilliant__! He's really going to know what I'm talking about. Well done, idiot._

Kakashi, however, seemed to have translated his stammering and sucked in a slight breath as he pulled Iruka closer. He ran his tongue up the shell of the tanned ear before whispering in a low husky voice, "Are you sure?"

The dark head nodded. "I don't know what I'm doing and I probably won't be any good… but I want to try."

A low groan escaped from the pale throat before teeth nipped his earlobe and strong hands dropped back below the water to grasp a firm hold of his buttocks. Kakashi stood in one easy move; drawing Iruka up with him and making the younger man gasp in surprise at the coolness of the air. The larger male sat on the edge of the bath, where the marble met the porcelain, and settled Iruka on his lap again. Reaching up he ran a pale thumb over the edge of the scar crossing the tanned face before cupping it and forcing Iruka to meet his eyes.

"Don't push yourself." He pressed a gentle kiss to the full lips. "Go slow and take your time."

"Ok."

The pale man captured the younger's lips again, sliding his hands to the thin chest and brushing thumbs over dusky nipples. Iruka shuddered at the sensation, leaning into the touch and was rewarded when one of the hardened nubs was taken between fingers and rolled. Moaning loudly, Iruka began to wriggle as his nipple was expertly manipulated without realising the effect he was having on the man below him. Kakashi stayed very still and tried to keep his breathing regular.

Finally, Iruka felt he was confident enough start making a move. Pulling away from those wonderful lips, he kissed his way down Kakashi's throat to the shoulders, pausing to lave the dark hickey with his tongue. Sliding off the older man's lap, he stooped and slowly began to nibble and lick a trail down the strong pectorals. Reaching the first pale nipple, Iruka circled it with his tongue while his hand reached for the other one, taking it between gentle fingers and trying to recreate what the businessman had done for him a few moments ago. Kakashi groaned and fisted his hands into long wet hair when Iruka nibbled on the small nub before sucking it into his mouth.

Oh Kami, when he'd told Iruka to go slow and take his time he should have realised what he was saying. The younger man had taken him at his word, going so slowly Kakashi was slowly being driven _insane_ by the curious little mouth. Kakashi hissed as those strong teeth nibbled softly on his nipple again, making him want to arch into the sensation. Instead, he forced himself to be still. If he gave in, submitted to what his body was screaming at him to do, the young teacher would find himself pinned and penetrated before he even knew what was happening. Kakashi had to control himself.

The hot little mouth began lapping at his abdominal muscles, trailing around each grove and exploring every crevice. It was infuriating and the most thorough anyone had ever been when exploring his body. A part of him wanted to tell the sensei to hurry up while another revelled in the attention he was receiving. Normally, he was the one in command, the one to do all the touching and to have someone's full attention focused solely on him for a change… it was exquisite. A small hand wrapped firmly around his aching erection and he couldn't stop himself from pushing up into the grip.

Slender fingers travelled curiously over his genitals; circling the head before trailing down the length, flitting teasingly over the thick vein on the shaft's underside. At the same time as a hot tongue dipped into his belly button so did a finger dip into the slit at the tip. Kakashi watched as Iruka pulled away slightly and studied the precum on his fingertip, the dark head slightly cocked to the side. A pink tongue snuck from between full lips to taste the drop of liquid. The older man shut his eyes tightly. If he watched any more of that even he didn't know what he'd do. Opening his eyes again when he felt two hands wrap around his erection, he was just in time to see that torturous tongue descending towards the blushing tip. Gripping the side of the tub tightly, he couldn't have torn his eyes away if he tried.

_This is it_, thought Iruka. _Remember the things the guys always complain about. Don't be too rough and watch out for teeth._

His tongue slid over the blushing head, sliding into the slit and tasting the strange flavour. It certainly didn't taste the best, but it wasn't too bad either. Just…different. Circling the tip and encouraged by the almost growled hiss that came from above, Iruka took the top of the member into his mouth and gave an experimental suck. He swirled his tongue and felt a shudder move through the large frame. Looked like he wasn't doing too badly so far, time to try going lower. Taking a deep breath through his nose, he slid his full lips downwards, his progress eased by the skin already being wet from the bathwater. He went down as far as he comfortably could before sliding back up. That didn't seem so hard.

Sliding down again, he tried to take in a little more before sucking a couple of times to see what the response would be. He knew how it had felt when Kakashi did it to him but how to recreate those sensations was beyond him. He would just have to experiment and see what happened. As he sucked the older man let out a very strained sound and Iruka looked up to make sure he'd not hurt him. As brown met red and grey Iruka couldn't help but feel as though he was pierced to his very core. The sheer heated hunger in that gaze sent a tremor down his spine and his stomach began to flutter like mad. He broke the gaze, unable to look into that intensity any longer. At least he knew now he wasn't hurting him.

Setting a slow pace, he began to bob his head sucking on the way up but just allowing himself to move down easily. Kakashi still wasn't moving, but his breathing had become ragged and every now and then, a strained sound would be released. Iruka didn't dare look up again. If the older man wasn't enjoying it he would change their positions quickly enough, of that the teacher was sure. What was actually surprising the younger man was how quickly his jaw was becoming sore. He'd only been going for a few minutes but already it was starting to ache. Wrapping his hand around the lower half of the large shaft, he decided to just work on the head with his mouth, working his hand below it.

A loud moan echoed around the tiled room as Iruka began this new approach and fingers slid into his hair. They didn't hold him in place or try to force him lower; they just tangled in the long damp strands. As Iruka worked his way back up to the head again he remembered something Kakashi had done the night before and lightly dragged his teeth over the sensitive head as he flicked his tongue rapidly against the slit.

"_Fuck_!" the older man ground out and the grip on his hair tightened. "Iruka, I'm close." A thumb brushed over half the scar crossing his face and coaxed him to look up. The gorgeous face was flushed and the mismated eyes glazed but no less piercing. "Pull back now if you want."

Iruka thought about it for a second as he swirled his tongue and gave quick hard sucks to the head, watching Kakashi grit his teeth and the eyes narrow in pleasure. He didn't want to. Kakashi hadn't pulled back from him and Iruka wanted to see this through. Giving a slight shake of the head he lowered his eyes again and turned his full attention to what he was doing. Bobbing down again and sucking as he came back up he once more dragged his teeth gently over the head, his hand never slowing in its pace.

"Oh fuck, _Iruka_!"

A hot salty substance shot into his mouth, taking him by surprise and making him flinch back slightly. His hand faltered for less than a second before he made sure to keep a steady pace on the throbbing organ. He didn't try to swallow any of it; it just didn't cross his mind to. Instead, the essence fell from the corners of his mouth into the bathwater below. Kakashi was groaning loudly, his whole body tensed as he rode out his orgasm. The change of grip in his hair indicated to Iruka that the older man was finishing, long fingers stroking gently as Kakashi began to breathe deeply above him.

Pulling back Iruka felt quite dazed and swiped at his mouth with the back of his hand. His eyes seemed to have fixed themselves to the surface of the water as he thought back over what he'd just done. This only lasted for a few seconds before a pale body moved within his range of vision and he was staring into a pair of mismatched eyes.

"You alright, sweetheart?"

Iruka blinked a couple of times. "That tastes really weird." He said without thinking and immediately blushed as Kakashi cracked up laughing.

"It does." The older man chuckled and pulled him close.

"Was I-"

"You already know the answer to that," Kakashi interrupted him with a grin that clearly said it all and Iruka felt himself smiling back, albeit shyly.

He scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "I'm glad. I was kinda nervous with you being so experienced and all. Because you weren't moving much or making much noise I was worried I wasn't doing very well."

Kakashi's smile softened as he cupped the tanned face with a warm hand. "It wasn't because you weren't doing well; it was for your sake."

"Huh?"

"Iruka, if I'd moved and given into what I wanted to do I would have ripped you out of this bath, thrown you on the bed, and fucked you before you even had time to blink. Trust me," the older man purred as he reached up with his other hand to wipe away further evidence of his release from the narrow chin, "it was better for you that I didn't move. If I had you would have been pinned to that bed all day."

By now, Iruka was blushing so hotly it was a miracle the water surrounding him wasn't bubbling. What the hell was he supposed to say to _that_? The question was pushed out of his mind when a hand wrapped firmly around his erection and began to stroke. Gasping he clutched onto the broad shoulders and shuddered. After watching Kakashi peak then hearing those words about what the older man had wanted to do with him, Iruka was painfully aroused. The other hand reached between them to take hold of a dusky nipple as lips brushed against his ear.

"I would have laid you out on the silk sheets and kissed you mindless," whispered the dark velvety voice, causing a shudder to go through the small body. "I would have touched you everywhere and followed my hands with my tongue." A sharp tug to his nipple had him crying out, his voice echoing in the tiled room.

"D-don't say those th-things," Iruka panted and he knew his blush was out in full force.

Kakashi totally ignored him, continuing to whisper sinful words in his ear while stroking him closer to completion.

"After I'd gone down on you and bought you to shattering orgasm, I would have slicked my fingers with lubricant and _slowly_ slid them into you one at a time until you were squirming and begging for more. I would have stroked your prost-"

"St-stop saying those things, please!" Iruka begged as he buried his face into the pale neck. "Shit, I'm- Aahhh!"

With a firm grip to the base of his shaft, Iruka's impending orgasm was held off.

"Ru, I'm going to LA tonight. My friend's hosting a party and I want you to come with me."

"Wh- oh Kami!" Kakashi gave a few quick, low strokes before once more squeezing the base, holding the younger man at the edge of orgasm.

"Come with me," the older man murmured into his ear enticingly.

"I-I can't. The boys-"

"We're only going over night, we'll leave this evening after the hospital visiting hours close and be back tomorrow morning." The teasing hand began to stroke again. "Come with me."

Iruka's temper spiked. How could Kakashi try and manipulate him at a time like _this_? He started to pull away but a strong arm quickly wrapped around his hips to hold him in place. He allowed himself to be held but did reach down and removed the pale hand from his shaft.

"Stop trying to manipulate me, Kakashi." He was angry, very aroused, and horribly embarrassed. "Doing something like this is really fucked up and degrading. I don't want to go away from Naruto and Sasuke. I'm here for them, not you."

The mismatched eyes widened fractionally before narrowing to slits. "It's a part of our agreement-"

Iruka tried to push back again, shoving against the wide chest, but it was like being trapped between a brick wall and a steel beam. "Our agreement was that I stay here with you while the boys are in hospital, not that I go flying around the country to attend parties."

A large hand came up and wrapped around his upper arm firmly, long fingers almost able to fully encircle the slender limb. It didn't hurt but the grip was firm and the smaller man's heart rate went up as he began to feel threatened. Kakashi was a lot bigger than him. Strong, fast, and trained, it was as fearsome as it was attractive. Right then, Iruka was definitely feeling a little frightened and his member had already softened, all arousal leaving him.

"The agreement was that you 'stay with me' while the boys are in hospital. A specific location was not included." The deep voice was as hard as the older man's gaze and Iruka couldn't stem the slight tremble of fear that worked its way down his spine. "_You_ agreed to the terms. I gave you a number of chances to back out, but _you_ decided to stay and fulfil their conditions."

Iruka quickly thought back to the conversation they'd had the day before in the front garden of the hospital. He'd been upset but he still remembered what was said and what he agreed to. Damn it! Kakashi was right. A location hadn't been specified. Shit!

"I can see by the look on your face that you know I'm right," the older man stated coldly.

"Just because you're right doesn't make this situation right!" Iruka snapped and again pushed against the hard shoulders. "Let me go."

Kakashi's eyes narrowed further and the hand holding the tanned upper arm sharply tugged him closer. "You're not done yet," he growled.

"You honestly think I'm going to let you keep touching me now? Not a chance!"

They glared at each other for a long moment, Iruka ridged and leaning away as Kakashi kept a firm hold on him. The chocolate eyes were narrowed and alight with that wonderful determination Kakashi found so appealing, silky dark brows furrowed angrily. The scarred face was flushed with indignation and those full lips set in a hard line. Iruka had no idea how alluring he was like this. Though the dark orbs were hard and unrelenting, the silver haired man could see fear lurking in the background, the knowledge that Kakashi was larger and stronger male.

"Let me go," Iruka repeated in a low, sharp edged tone.

Thankfully, the older man did. Kakashi rose quickly from the water, grabbing a towel from the nearby rack and wrapping it around his hips. Iruka watched the powerful frame stalk across the tiled floor, silent and graceful.

"I'll pick you up from the hospital this afternoon. There's a car downstairs waiting to take you there, just ask at the reception desk."

With that, Kakashi disappeared into the bedroom. Iruka swiftly climbed from the tub and wrapped himself in a soft white towel. He waited until the sound of the front door closing reached his ears before leaving the bathroom. Quickly, he entered the bedroom and pulled on his old clothes, the only familiarity in a richly foreign surround. Old jeans, a dark green polo shirt to hide the mark on his neck, and a grey hooded jacket to ward off the cold were the only comfort he had so far from home. How could he have been so stupid to place himself in such a vulnerable position? How could he have been so idiotically naïve? The foolishness of his decisions and actions made him feel sick. He deserved this, it would teach him not to make the same fuck ups again! What an idiot he was, to have trusted and let himself become so susceptible to a complete stranger. What an utter total idiot.

Heading back through to the bathroom, he pulled a brush harshly through his hair and tied it back. As he turned to leave, he realised the bath was still full of water and went over to pull the lever that opened the drain. He sat and watched as the water slowly swirled away along with the evidence from the morning's activities. Iruka dropped his head into his hands and felt sick to his stomach as images of what he'd done and the pleasure of Kakashi's release swam through his mind. He'd never felt so completely humiliated in all his life.

**…**

It was almost lunchtime before Iruka was stepping into Sasuke and Naruto's hospital room. The morning's confrontation with Kakashi had left him feeling completely disgusted with himself and he knew that the boys would have seen it clearly written all over his face. After doing a few laps of the hotel suite and packing his backpack to go to LA, Iruka had to concede to the fact that he just wasn't ready to go see his two most precious people yet. He'd taken the time to calm down and reign in his emotions, to reassess the situation and get his bearings once more. Since he'd left Japan, Iruka had been running on stress, lack of sleep, and worry. He'd not been thinking straight and that had led him to the situation he now found himself in. He honestly didn't know what to do to get out of it.

There were a few options open to him. He could fulfil his part of the agreement, go to LA with Kakashi and continue staying with him, but take firm control of their physical contact. He'd caught glimpses of Kakashi's harsher side in the last few days and it wasn't nice. The worst part was that Iruka was sure he'd only seen the surface. If Kakashi's dark side did ever decide to make an appearance, Iruka didn't want to be anywhere near the vicinity. He would not allow himself to be used physically though, just to keep the monster at bay. It would be a delicate balance but he was confident he could do it. It would only be for another couple more nights and then the boys would be released and he could go stay with them until his return home.

Another option was to run away. This option was likely the smartest but also the most damaging to his pride. To run away properly he'd have to leave the country, leave Naruto and Sasuke before they were out of hospital. He didn't want to leave his little brother; it just wasn't in him to abandon Naruto. This idea was dismissed almost as fast as it was thought of.

The last option he'd seriously considered was to ask Sasuke for the money and pay Kakashi back, thereby buying his way out of the agreement. This choice was his least favourite and left a bad taste in his mouth. He didn't want to borrow money from his young friend and if he did, Sasuke would want to know what was going on. Telling the raven-haired man about his stupidity and the position he now found himself in would add tremendously to his humiliation, not to mention possibly damage the relationship between Kakashi and Sasuke. Sasuke needed to maintain a strong connection to his sensei for the sake of his business. Apart from that, the last thing Iruka wanted was for Naruto to find out. His little brother looked up to him as someone who always made the right decisions, knew what to do in any situation. To let it be known he'd gotten himself into such a stupid predicament might lessen Naruto's confidence in him and the idea of that hurt more than anything.

As he entered the hospital room, his eyes automatically went to his little brother's bed. The blond was tucked up on his side sleeping soundly, hair an unruly mess and looking adorable. Casting his eyes to Sasuke's bed, Iruka saw that the young Uchiha wasn't in the room. The bathroom door was open and a quick peek in confirmed that his friend was indeed gone. Likely, he was just taking a walk or had gone for a consultation with the doctors. Iruka smiled for what felt like the first time that day and sat in the visitors chair next to his slumbering brother. He resisted the urge to run his fingers through the pale locks, Naruto needed his sleep; the doctor had said as much the day before and for the endless ball of energy to be crashed out in the middle of the day just showed how true that was. Picking up his brother's graphic novel, Iruka settled in to wait for Naruto to wake.

About an hour later, and in the middle of a battle scene involving a masked character called the Copy-Ninja who had amazing powers, the lunch lady came bustling in making enough racket to shock Naruto from the Land of Nod.

"Hey there." Iruka smiled, finally getting to ruffle the soft blond spikes. "How'd you sleep?"

"Ruru!" Naruto exclaimed happily and pulled his big brother into a hug. "How long have you been here? What's the time?"

Iruka chuckled and nodded toward the woman settling a food tray on Sasuke's bedside table. "Lunch time. I've been here for about an hour but you were well and truly crashed out so I've just been reading this." He held up the graphic novel as the lunch lady handed Naruto his tray of food.

"Thaaaank you!" the blond exclaimed happily, giving a huge grin and eyeing the food hungrily.

"You're welcome." The woman chuckled before looking over at Iruka. "Got a good appetite this one."

Iruka laughed warmly. "He does indeed. I have no idea where all the food goes."

"It goes to feed my mighty brain!" Naruto exclaimed exuberantly and Iruka rolled his eyes.

"Like I said," he grinned at the laughing woman, "I have no idea where it goes."

The lunch lady wheeled her trolley from the room chuckling heartily as Naruto gave the expected loud protest.

"So, did you do alright last night?" Iruka asked as the blond began taking the plastic wrap off his food.

"No! The stupid doctors kept coming in and poking me, flashing lights in my eyes and shit. I was awake half the night. They keep telling me I need sleep then waking me up when I finally drop off. It's bullshit! Hey, hey, have you eaten yet?" Naruto asked, settling the tray so Iruka could reach for something if he wanted it.

"Nah, not real hungry right now. I'll get something from the café later, you eat up."

Truth was that Iruka was still feeling nauseous over this morning's incident. He'd never been able to eat when stressed, likely half the reason he was still so skinny. When there was Naruto to care for plus his work at the orphanage, he was always stressed over something. Forcing food down would just result in him throwing it back up because of nerves, so instead he stole Naruto's juice and breathed a silent sigh of relief as when his stomach didn't protest.

"So where's Sasuke?" he asked and quickly leapt up to thump his brother on the back as the blond began to choke on his food. "How many times do I have to tell you? Swallow first!" he berated as Naruto regained control of his lungs.

"Sorry," watery blue eyes looked at him apologetically, "it's just I forgot, but it's really important!"

"What's going on?"

"This weird guy turned up a few hours ago! Sasuke got really angry when he walked through the door and asked him what the fuck he was doing here. The guy answered 'What, can't I come see my foolish' before Sasuke cut him off and dragged him from the room telling me to stay here and get some sleep. I would have gone after him but he gave me the 'do as I say or you're _dead_' glare."

Iruka nodded in understanding. "Yeah, you don't mess with him when he's got that glare on. Who was the guy?"

"I dunno, but he looked exactly like Sasuke just older. Real pale skin, black hair and eyes. Even their features were the same. I'd bet money he's a relative. He was cold though, Ru, real cold. You could just feel it."

_Itachi.__ It has to be_, Iruka realised.

After what Kakashi had told him about the older Uchiha brother, Iruka knew he needed to find his friend quickly.

"Sasuke hasn't been back for the hour I've been here. I think I should go find him. You finish your lunch; I'll go have a hunt around."

Iruka gulped down the last of the juice and stood up.

"Hold on, I'll come with you," Naruto said, starting to set his tray aside even though it still had food on it. Iruka placed a hand on his shoulder to hold him in place.

"No, Kit, he gave you the glare not me. He'll get pissed off if you go looking for him and I don't want the two of you fighting. Stay here and finish your food, I'll be back when I have Sasuke." He could see his little brother was about to protest further. "Don't make me use the teacher's voice on you," he threatened, only half kidding.

Naruto pouted at him. "That's just mean."

Iruka gave a cheeky grin before dropping a kiss on the blond locks. "You know you love me," he quipped before grabbing his jacket and leaving Naruto to his lunch.

Striding down the corridor Iruka wondered where he should start looking. While the cafeteria and sitting areas would normally be the logical places to look, he knew Sasuke and if he was throwing around glares from the nastiest section of his arsenal then the two men would be somewhere remote. Somewhere others couldn't over hear them. He headed outside to check the gardens first and by pure luck walked past two nurses chatting loudly while they smoked.

"I'm telling you, they're absolutely _gorgeous_. All pale skin and dark eyes. The younger one's from room 216, I saw him yesterday when doing the rounds with Dr. Dean. This new guy must be his brother and is just to die for!"

Iruka stepped over to them quickly, the comment about room 216 catching his attention. "Excuse me, miss. The young man you're talking about is a friend of mine and I'm looking for him. Where did you see them please?"

"Oh, I recognise you." The nurse smiled as she took another drag from her cigarette. "You're the blond's brother, right?"

Iruka gave them a warm smile. "That's right."

"I saw your friend near the garden next to the Emergency Department."

"Ah, thank you very much." He bowed slightly, forgetting that it wasn't the done thing in America, then blushed as the ladies started giggling. "Old habit." He grinned sheepishly before heading off in the direction of the indicated garden.

It only took him a few minutes to get there and he spotted Sasuke immediately, still dressed in the simple hospital garb. Next to him stood an older, slightly taller version of the young Uchiha and Iruka was sure that could only be Itachi. The man was dressed warmly with a thick black coat and red scarf. Poor Sasuke must have been absolutely freezing though, with so little protection against the cold wind. It had stopped raining at least. Iruka decided not to call out, to walk over casually as if he'd just come across them by mistake. Sasuke would know better, but Itachi wouldn't.

Sasuke was obviously very stressed. His posture was ridged, jaw clenched, and obsidian eyes narrowed to angry slits. Itachi seemed to be doing most of the talking and looked far more relaxed. There was a small, sardonic twist to the older Uchiha's lips and Iruka felt his temper creeping up for the second time that day. No one upset one of his friends for the fun of it, no one.

Iruka came to a stop next to Sasuke and placed a hand on his friend's tense shoulder as Itachi looked at him curiously. "Hey Sasuke."

Sasuke looked at him in surprise, obviously thrown that Iruka had managed to get so close without him noticing. "Iruka, how long have you been here?"

The young man's voice was like ice, but Iruka knew it wasn't directed at him. Sasuke was obviously very upset.

"Got to the hospital just over an ago and I've been up with Naruto. Felt like stretching my legs for a bit and saw you from the path." He turned to the other raven-haired man who was watching them with interested eyes. "Hello."

"Good afternoon," the taller man greeted formally. "I am Sasuke's older brother, Uchiha Itachi. You are?"

Sasuke opened his mouth to speak, but a firm squeeze from the tanned hand on his shoulder told him it was alright.

"Umino Iruka," he answered and held out his hand to shake.

Despite the cold aura surrounding Itachi, his hand was warm as it wrapped around Iruka's darker one. Iruka could feel Sasuke's shoulder tense further as Itachi and he shook hands, another gentle squeeze loosened some of the tension.

"I'm actually glad I saw you, Sasuke. You're lunch is up in the room and Naruto's wondering where you've gotten to."

"You came looking for him, didn't you, Umino-san?" Itachi asked unexpectedly with a small smirk.

"Itachi, stop it," Sasuke growled, glaring darkly at his older brother.

"Little brother, why do you always cause trouble for nice people? Always burdening others wit-"

"Sasuke is in no way a burden," Iruka interrupted the pale man's words sharply. "He is my friend and a part of my family. I don't care if you are his brother; I will not tolerate you speaking down to him like that."

Silence fell over the small group for a moment. Iruka looked at Itachi with hard eyes, Sasuke glanced back and forth between his brother and his friend while Itachi raised a slender eyebrow and the smirk fell from his face. Itachi's looked Iruka over, assessing.

"Such a passionate friend you have, little brother. I will not keep you from your lunch."

With a slight inclination of his head to Iruka, Itachi turned and strode toward the car park. As soon as Itachi was no longer within sight, Sasuke gave a long sigh and drooped tiredly. Iruka wrapped his arms around the younger man tightly, holding him close and running a hand through soft raven spikes.

"Are you alright, Sasuke?" he asked worriedly. He'd never seen his young friend so affected by another person before.

Sasuke allowed himself to be held, leaning into the warmth of the smaller body and breathing in Iruka's reassuring scent. He didn't shiver in the cold, Uchiha's don't show such weakness, but he did close his eyes for a minute and take comfort from the gentle man holding him. Quickly the orphanage teacher stripped off his jacket and slipped it over Sasuke's shoulders. It was obvious that Sasuke was very tired.

"It's ok," he whispered soothingly. "Come on, you need to rest. You're too cold. You shouldn't be out here in this weather without a coat, let's get you inside and warmed up."

There was no argument from his young friend, Sasuke walked docilely beside the orphanage teacher and paid no attention to anyone around them. As they entered room 216, Naruto looked up from his book and the sunny grin of greeting fell instantly away at Sasuke's expression.

"You look like shit, asshole, what happened?"

Sasuke simply huffed, though it lacked any real spirit. "Hn, moron."

The brothers tucked their emotionally exhausted friend into bed, putting on an extra blanket and sitting by him as he drifted off to sleep. Both were silent until the pale man's breathing became deep and regular.

"What happened?" Naruto whispered to Iruka once they were sure Sasuke was out.

"The guy you saw is his older brother," Iruka answered in a low voice. "His name's Itachi and looks like he's a right nasty piece of work. Sasuke's just exhausted from being around him for hours. It must have been very emotionally draining."

Reaching across, Iruka placed his hand on Naruto's leg and looked into clear blue eyes seriously.

"If he turns up again, Kit, don't leave Sasuke alone with him. He's mean. Straight away, he started saying nasty things to degrade him. I jumped in pretty quick, but it's still disgusting that Itachi would do it in the first place. I can't even imagine what's been said to Sasuke over the last few hours."

"Got it," Naruto replied, his face setting in a determined frown. "He's family. I'll back him up and shut down anyone who tries to hurt him."

Iruka clapped his brother on the shoulder. "That's the spirit."

Naruto flashed him a huge grin that held a nasty edge to it. Iruka grinned back, just as nasty. They were very protective over the ones they loved.

"Oh, the doctor came in while you were finding him. We're getting released tomorrow. All my scans came back clear so there's no need to keep us here any longer. They just want one more night to keep us under observation and we can check out after breakfast tomorrow," the younger brother announced happily.

Iruka's face split into a relieved smile. The boys were getting out the next day and both had been given a clean bill of health. It was the best news he'd heard in a long time. It also meant he would get out of his agreement with Kakashi a hell of a lot sooner than anticipated. Just one more night. Sure, he'd have to make the trip to Los Angeles with the wealthy business man, but after they got back he would be free.

"Oh thank Kami." Iruka slumped in his chair and let his head fall into his hands. "That's wonderful."

"Everything's gonna be alright now, Ruru." With a quiet chuckle, Naruto patted his brother on the head. "Geeze, you really do worry too much."

"Yeah, well, you know me," he answered, lifting his head and giving a weak grin. If only Naruto knew the half of it.

They went and sat on Naruto's bed, settling comfortably and starting to chat in whispered voices. After a short while, Iruka decided he needed to let his brother know what was happening that night. If there was an emergency and the hospital tried to get hold of him then the boys would need to know why it would take him longer to get to them. Taking a deep breath, he prepared himself to evade a few questions. He would not lie to his brother, Iruka had a strict policy against lying; however, he didn't have to give all the information either.

"Kit, Kakashi's asked me to go to a party with him in LA tonight. We'd leave this evening and be back tomorrow morning before visiting hours so I won't lose any time with you but… I'm just not sure. What do you think?"

Naruto looked at him with wide blue eyes. "You've been invited to an LA party?" There was silence in the room for a few seconds before the whisker-scarred face split into a huge grin. "You lucky bastard, they're supposed to be the _best_."

The older brother couldn't help but gape at this response. "S-so, you don't mind me going?" he asked surprised.

"Are you kidding?" the blond replied incredulously. "You _have_ to go. It's your first time out of Japan. Go explore a little. It'll be heaps of fun, Ru, and you need to let loose every once in awhile. This is great. You have to tell me all about it tomorrow."

All Iruka could do was sit there and smile as his little brother launched into stories he'd heard about huge LA parties and how crazy they were. Iruka couldn't believe it, Naruto didn't mind that he was going; he even encouraged him to and didn't ask any awkward questions.

_W__ell, that was easier than expected. Looks like I'm going to LA._

**…**

Walking from the hospital's relatively warm interior, Iruka quickly zipped up his grey hoodie and shuddered against the cold evening air. It was raining again and looked to be a miserable night. The weather matched his mood perfectly. A couple of hours earlier Naruto had fallen asleep. Iruka had watched his two most beloved people slumber on peacefully as the dread slowly built in his stomach and the storm clouds gathered beyond the window. Soon, he would be facing Kakashi and he had no idea what to expect. He couldn't predict or control Kakashi's reactions so he would just have to deal with things as they came. Eventually, a nurse had popped her head in and whispered to him that visiting hours were over for the day and he could see them again on the morrow. Placing gentle kisses on both dark and light hair, Iruka had left the only people in the foreign country that made him feel secure.

A large gust of wind blew past, causing the loose chocolate strands framing his face to blow around wildly as Iruka leaned against a wall under cover from the rain. He huddled into his jacket, stuffing his hands into his pockets to try to warm them up. It was absolutely freezing and Iruka was starting to shiver. He really needed to buy a thicker jacket. His backpack rested by his feet while he waited for Kakashi to arrive. The thought crossed his mind as to what he should do if the older man didn't turn up and he simply decided that he would call a taxi and have the driver take him back to the hotel. Then he would pack his bags and bail the hell out of there. Iruka was pulled from his thoughts by a tall, pale figure walking toward him and shaking the water from an umbrella. Well… this was unexpected.

"Umino-san," Itachi greeted him in a voice that held no inflection what so ever. Iruka wondered vaguely if the Itachi had learnt that skill from Kakashi or if it was just a general trait of all wealthy businessmen.

"Uchiha-san," Iruka answered politely with a slight inclination of his head.

Itachi came to lean on the wall next to him and Iruka watched as the long dark hair was lifted by the wind to dance elegantly. It actually annoyed Iruka slightly as he was sure his own short ponytail was waving around wildly like the tail of an excited dog.

"How is my troublesome little brother doing?" the pale man asked.

_That's it, screw being polite to this prick. He obviously needs a good kick up the a__rse._

"A damn sight better than he was when talking with you," Iruka answered, annoyance easily identifiable in his voice. "What the hell were you thinking having him stand out in the cold for so long without a coat? He's in hospital for heaven's sake, are you trying to make him ill on top of his injuries?"

The slender dark brows rose in the pale forehead at Iruka's words, but the other fine features did not change an iota. "Sasuke is a grown man. If he's too foolish to care for his own health then he deserves to get sick. It's not my concern."

"It should be your concern!" the shorter man snapped. "He's your little brother and from what I can tell, all you did today was upset him. You didn't even know me yet the first thing you did when we met was to deliberately degrade and embarrass him. Why do something so cruel?"

One of the coat-clad shoulders lifted a fraction in a shrug. "To toughen him up. He's too weak and it's my duty as the eldest to ensure he is strong enough to-"

"Weak?" Iruka interrupted angrily. "He's not weak! He's one of the toughest kids I know. He's tougher than most adults. What you're trying to do is turn him into a goddamn machine."

The corners of Itachi's lips curved upwards in a smirk making the tall man look very attractive, but cruel. He was incredibly handsome, Iruka couldn't argue against that, but far too cold and unfeeling. The tanned man scowled as dark eyes raked over his body like they had earlier.

"You are quite the passionate little thing."

"And you're an arse." Iruka glowered as he swiped up his backpack and made to walk away.

He'd had enough of talking with the man. Iruka now understood why Sasuke lived at their house so much of the time. When the boys had finished their semester in America and returned to Japan, he'd ask his young friend if he wanted to move in permanently. He would check with Naruto first and they'd have to rearrange the house a bit, but he just couldn't stand the idea of the raven-haired teen living in a house with such cold relatives.

As he made to walk away, a surprisingly strong hand caught hold of his elbow. Angry brown eyes met with appraising black.

"What?" Iruka asked in a low warning tone.

Before Itachi had a chance to answer him, a long blue scarf was draped around Iruka's neck and large, warm hands came to rest on his shivering shoulders. Iruka knew without looking who it was that stood behind him. The scarf held Kakashi's scent and was still warm with residual body heat.

"Yes, Itachi. What?" came that deep voice, flowing past him on the wind.

Itachi's grip tightened momentarily before Iruka's elbow was released and he inclined his head to Kakashi. "Hatake-san, I wasn't expecting to see you here."

While the respectful form of address was used, Iruka got the clear impression it was done so sarcastically.

"You know I like to keep an eye on you boys. Pop up when you least expect it." There was a definite warning in Kakashi's tone. "What are you doing here?"

Giving a slight smirk, Itachi nodded at the hospital entrance doors. "Visiting my dear little brother to make sure he's alright and recovering well, of course."

"Sure you are," Kakashi drawled. "Go back to Japan and look after the business, Itachi. I'll keep an eye on your 'dear little brother' for you."

Even though it was said casually, Iruka could still clearly recognise the order that had just been given and Itachi obviously did too by the way his eyes narrowed.

"My deepest thanks, Hatake-san." The obsidian eyes turned to the smallest of the three men. "Umino-san, I will be seeing you again."

"Beat it, kid," Kakashi ordered firmly before Iruka could reply.

With a final smirk, Itachi took his umbrella and walked off towards the car park through the rain.

"That guy could give Antarctica a run for its money," Iruka commented absently as he watched the figure leave.

The warm hands left his shoulders and the scarf was wrapped around him properly to help keep out the cold wind. "Come on. You're shivering."

Iruka took a deep breath and turned to meet the single grey eye. He couldn't read a thing in its dark depths. Kakashi was completely guarded.

_I could learn a thing or two from him_, Iruka noted bitterly.

Kakashi would have no problem picking up someone else. If the party tonight was anything like the stories Naruto had told him that afternoon Kakashi would be bedding down with a couple of beautiful models before midnight. At least that would keep the older man distracted from his presence and Iruka could go relax somewhere for the night until they made the return trip the next morning. That would be a relief. He'd always been more of a small group kinda guy, though he did actually enjoy parties just to watch the people if nothing else. There were always interesting characters at a party.

For most of the ones he went to in Japan he usually end up crashed on a couch or in the backyard with the guys he grew up with. They were wonderful nights, just him, Naruto, Hayate, Raidou, Kotetsu, and Izumo. Every now and then even old 'stick in the mud' Ebisu would come along and bore the shit out of them all while trying to be sly about staring at the chest of any female that walked past. The other guys from the orphanage had all moved but still kept in occasional contact.

Iruka and Kakashi stopped at a car parked undercover at the 'set down and pick up' area out front of the main entrance. A driver was holding the back door open and Iruka thanked him as he handed over his backpack and climbed in. He slid over to the far seat to make room for Kakashi, however, an arm wrapped around his chest and easily pulled him back to the centre seat, his old jeans sliding unimpeded on the expensive leather upholstery. He was pulled into a strange position where he was pretty much lying across the back seat with his upper body over Kakashi's lap, being held up by those powerful arms. Pale lips came down hungrily to fasten over his surprised ones. His hair tie was swiftly pulled out and fingers buried in his long tresses, supporting his head at the odd angle as the older man expertly dominated his mouth.

It was nothing like their shared kisses from that morning when Iruka had been in clumsy control. This was breathtaking. Everything jumbled in his head as a talented tongue invaded his mouth and started claiming every inch of it aggressively, subduing his own tongue and brushing over every surface. He didn't even notice the car beginning to move. After what could have been seconds or hours, the older man pulled back and Iruka opened dazed eyes that he didn't remember closing as he sucked in air. He no longer felt cold and he knew his face would be flushed. The grey eye above him was as hard as granite and narrowed dangerously.

"Did he touch you anywhere else?" The older man demanded, his voice almost a growl.

"Wh-what?" Iruka was completely confused.

"Itachi. Did he touch you anywhere other than your elbow?"

"W-we shook hands earli- _mmph_!"

His mouth was reclaimed in another hard, aggressive kiss, the tongue again forcing its way inside and twining around his own. The arms holding him tightened as a whimper escaped from the tanned throat without Iruka's permission and his hands fisted in the thick material of Kakashi's coat. After another indeterminable amount of time where his mouth was not only explored by that aggressive tongue, but his lips had also been licked, nibbled, and sucked until he was panting, he was finally let go and set upright again. Quickly the smaller man scooted to the other side of the car and pulled on his seatbelt, hoping that would act as a deterrent for any more unexpected trips into the older man's lap. So much for his plan to control their physical contact, those kisses had been completely mind blowing! But the questions in between… what the hell had been up with that?

"Did you just kiss me because Itachi grabbed my elbow?" Iruka demanded, his face flushed across the scar.

Kakashi remained silent but the look he sent him said it all. Iruka scowled darkly as his hand curled into angry fists.

"You know you're fucking _nuts_, right?"

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**AN: And thus a bit of competition wanders its way into the story. Well I hope you all enjoyed this expellant from my brain. What a surprise the possessive little scene at the end. I'm not sure Iruka's going to enjoy that at all and I wonder if he'll actually tell Kakashi that the boys are getting out the next day. Oh well, we'll just have to wait and find out.**

**Reviews make my brain vomit more. Clicky the button my pretties ^_^**

**Edited July 2010… yeah, edited like a fox!**


	7. Finding Oneself

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I have been to a party like this though and I was as weirded out as Iruka.**

**Much love to Meiun and ReixGarra for editing this story.**

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**Stranger Situations**

**Chapter 7: Finding Oneself**

"Can I have my hair tie back?"

Iruka looked furtively at the stretchy brown band Kakashi was absently fiddling with. They hadn't spoken in the last twenty minutes or so, the space inside the vehicle oppressively silent except for sound filtering in from the outside. After the toe curling, dominating kiss, and Iruka's angry outburst, the two men had fallen into broody silence, each looking out his respective window.

The intensity from the kiss and his subsequent anger had left Iruka feeling shaken, doubting his ability to control the situation with the older man. The initial heat, which made him feel as though he'd been seared from the inside out, had abated. Now he just felt chilled emotionally and physically, the thick blue scarf was doing nothing to help warm him anymore. If anything, being surrounded by Kakashi's scent was keeping his nerves tight and frayed. He was cold, starting to shiver again, on edge, and not looking forward to what the night could possibly bring.

He had no idea what was expected of him tonight, no clue about where they were going in LA or any of the people that would be at the party. For the life of him, he couldn't figure out why Kakashi still wanted to take him after their altercation that morning. Shouldn't the man have decided he was too much trouble by now and moved on? As it was, Kakashi looked over at his request and frowned, the single grey eye assessing him with a calculating gaze.

_Oh hell, what now?_ Iruka thought irritably.

He was not in the mood for another fight. All he wanted was his hair tie back. The dark strands were still wild from the wind and Kakashi's pawing, no matter how many times he pushed them back behind his ears, lengths kept falling free and tickling his nose. It was pissing him off and all he wanted was his damn hair tie back.

"You haven't eaten today, have you?" Kakashi sounded more like he was stating a fact than asking a question.

Iruka almost growled. "Do you always have to reply to one of my questions with a question? Can't you just answer me straight for once?" He scowled as the older man merely raised an eyebrow at him. "I don't even need an answer. I just want my hair tie back."

Silence reigned for a short time as the two men stared at each other, the older obviously assessing the situation while the younger just glared in irritation. The driver shifted slightly in discomfort at the tension between his two passengers. He couldn't understand the language they were speaking but the atmosphere in the car was very heavy.

"Why haven't you eaten?" Kakashi asked in a low tone.

It was obvious to Iruka that the older man did not intend to give up his hair tie until his questions were answered. Iruka scowled at him one more time before turning to face the window again, hair falling around his face at the sharp movement. He was in no mood to play games; he'd had quite enough of uppity businessmen for one day. There was a spare tie in his backpack. He would just have to be patient and wait until the car stopped.

"Forget it," Iruka muttered and resolved to ignore the older man for as long as he could.

Hunching down he tried to sink further into the thin jacket and scarf, attempting to trap in the minimal warmth and stop his trembling. Agreement be damned! He was cold, in a foul mood, and not prepared to answer any more arrogant questions. If Kakashi had half the sense of a goat, he'd leave him alone.

Less than a second after that thought had formed warm fingers raked gently through his hair and made Iruka jump in surprise. Thankfully, he was able to hold in any undignified yelps this time, instead turning to glare heatedly at the larger man who had moved into the centre seat and was far too close for comfort.

"What are you doing?" he snapped irritably while slapping the pale hand away.

Kakashi just gave him an impatient look and sighed. "Your hair's obviously annoying you. Let me tie it back."

The pale hands reached forwards again and Iruka batted at them, missing completely as Kakashi moved easily to avoid the strike.

"I've been binding my own hair since I was four years old. I don't need help. Give me the damn tie and back off," he bit out angrily, trying to look ferocious and hoping the gorgeous man would retreat back to his side of the car. The business tycoon was very large and he was beginning to feel cornered.

Kakashi simply raised his eyebrow again and looked as though he was trying not to smile. "I'm not denying your ability to tie back your own hair; I'd simply like to do it for you."

Iruka actually growled and his eyes narrowed dangerously. If Naruto or Sasuke had been in the car, they would have immediately gone completely silent and tried to make themselves as small as possible. Kakashi just sat there totally unperturbed. The only conclusion the furious teacher could come to was that either his tormentor lacked any semblance of survival instinct or he had a death wish. If it was the latter, Iruka was in the mood to assist him with that wish.

Since he'd met the silver haired tyrant in a time of weakness he had been manipulated, frustrated, humiliated, and practically mancipated. That morning's confrontation had left him feeling so incredibly foolish and he was still berating himself for letting the older man get so close. He opened himself to a total stranger in ways he'd never even considered to be possible before and all Kakashi did was push him for more. It was just too much. His hand clenched into a tight fist and just as he was contemplating punching Kakashi in the nose part of their conversation from the night before flitted through his head.

"_I've been doing martial arts since I was three years old. My father had me train in all forms and with a new sensei every year so I developed new skills and techniques constantly."_

Iruka froze. Kakashi was fast, strong, and trained.

"_I have, on many occasions, carried around men three times your weight and both of our packs while in the army over stupidly long distances for no other reason than training."_

"_If you ever manage to punch me in the face, Ruka, I'll be mightily impressed."_

The man had not been kidding. It was true, if Iruka ever managed to land a hit on the larger male it would be either a fluke or a miracle. He glared up into the striking pale face and unclenched his fist. Perhaps he was the one not reading the situation intelligently. Kakashi was the head of a powerful corporation, from the way he moved one could just tell he'd be a superb fighter. Whether the teacher attacked him verbally or physically there was a very small probability Iruka would come out the winner.

However, just allowing Kakashi to have his own way _again_ to keep the peace would be too much of a blow to the younger man's pride. Even though their disagreement appeared to be about who would tie up his hair, Iruka knew the underlying argument was really about control. Kakashi was trying to control his movements, to dominate him, just as he had been doing since they'd met at the airport in Tokyo.

To be fair though, Kakashi had also helped him a great deal since they'd met in Japan. He'd also been very kind and understanding of Iruka's past and subsequent issues, both mental and physical. Iruka knew he wouldn't be able to win a verbal or physical match against Kakashi when they appeared to be speaking over something as vague as securing some wayward hair. As much as Iruka loathed admitting it, the older man had the upper hand in this situation. Kakashi could throw out as many underlying messages as he liked and if Iruka eventually snapped and told him to stop playing mind game or be so controlling, he'd just fall back on the fact that they were speaking of a hair accessory. No matter how Iruka played out the possible conversations in his head, he'd end up looking foolish.

Even though his thought process had only lasted a few seconds, it was evident in Kakashi's expression that he had a fair idea of what had just passed through Iruka's head. The younger man let out a small sigh and broke their eye contact. He ran a frustrated hand through his hair and let his head fall back against the headrest of his seat. It was only for one more night and then, regardless of his mixed feelings, they would separate back into their own lives. Perhaps their paths would cross occasionally in the future, but they would effectively go back to being strangers. This wasn't worth being so worked up over.

"Just leave it be, Kakashi." He sighed and looked out the window, sending the clear message that the conversation was over.

The rain had gotten heavier and Iruka absently noted that the dark tinting on the windows made it seem much gloomier than it really was. The weather really was matching his mood perfectly. He could feel Kakashi's assessing gaze still on him and wondered if the older man would go back to his side of the car and leave the situation alone. Somehow, he doubted it. That just didn't seem to be the older man's style. As if to answer his thoughts warm fingers took a hold of his chin and firmly turned his face.

_Oh for fucks sake!_

"What are you doing?" Iruka snapped and fixed his eyes back on the man next to him only to discover the handsome face much closer than before. The teacher swallowed nervously and consciously steeled his expression.

The dark grey eye studied his furious brown ones. The hard, penetrating gaze, as always, made the younger man feel as though Kakashi was looking directly into his mind. It was as if the older man really could read his thoughts, could see everything he was feeling and thinking. No matter how much he wanted to, Iruka was unable to look away from that single orb, pride demanding that he hold that piercing stare. The whole world seemed to shrink down until it contained just the two of them and Iruka's breathing becoming increasingly shallower. It was as though the larger male's presence wrapped around him and held him in a silent cocoon from the rest of the world.

The teacher's anger abated as uncertainty took over and he fought to keep his features in a glare. What did Kakashi see? What could he read in his eyes? Could he see how much that morning's confrontation had hurt him? How angry he was with Kakashi for betraying his trust and how furious he felt at himself for been stupid enough to give that trust in the first place? Could he see that all Iruka wanted to do was to get as far from him as possible while at the same time knowing he would miss the physical intimacy Kakashi had given him? Did the older man know how much he despised himself for craving that sinful touch?

A muted ring from the businessman's coat pocket broke the spell, making Iruka jump slightly in surprise. The single eye flashed in annoyance as the elegant hand released its grip on his chin and warm fingers pressed briefly against his chilled cheek. Frowning, Kakashi moved back to his side of the car and pulled a slender phone from his pocket, flicking it open. Before he spoke into it, though, he addressed the driver in English.

"You," the driver flinched at the commanding tone, "turn on the heater."

"Yes, sir." The driver quickly fiddled with some dials and warm air instantly started flowing into the car.

Iruka watched as the stylish phone was pressed to a pale ear. He felt frozen, like an animal trapped in a cage with a predator who had just stalked over, looked into his soul, and, for some reason, decided to let him live a little longer. Who the hell was this man?

"Yes?" the large male demanded of the caller before listening a moment. "I see, put them through." The granite eye was once more turned to him. "Please excuse me a moment. This is a business call."

There was no way Iruka trusted his voice enough to speak at that moment so instead he just narrowed his eyes and gave a small nod. The teacher knew Kakashi had no need to explain himself; it wasn't as though he was going to demand his attention anyway. He actually felt as though the call had come at just the right time.

_Saved by the bell_, the teacher thought ironically.

As someone obviously came onto the other end of the line, the older man turned away again and, to Iruka's great surprise, began speaking in another language. He couldn't tell what it was but it sounded vaguely German to him. How many languages did the man speak? So many questions. There were so many things he didn't know about the mysterious man that had appeared in his life and confused the hell out of it.

While the language might have been different, the tone used by the business tycoon was still direct and emotionless. No matter how grateful he was that Kakashi's attention was elsewhere, Iruka still couldn't help but hate that tone of voice. He completely refused to acknowledge the fact that the smooth, deep baritone was still sending little thrills down his spine.

With a small shake of his head, Iruka turned his attention once more out the window and breathed a small sigh of relief. He had been gifted with a moments respite and the air in the car was finally starting to warm. The teacher ignored his still loose hair; actually, he was mildly grateful he had never reacquired his band. The long strands fell around his face and helped to hide it. He felt the need to hide at that moment, no matter how ineffectual it really was.

**…**

The business call took the remainder of the drive, only ending once they had arrived at the private section of an airfield. The larger commercial jets could be seen taking off or landing in the distance, but the section they were in had obviously been reserved for smaller, private vehicles. The plane was the same size as the one they had taken from New York but Ino was not there to greet them at the stairs. Instead, a young brunette introduced herself as Clarissa.

Unlike Ino, Clarissa was completely smitten at first sight with Kakashi, but Iruka really couldn't blame her. The businessman had emerged from the luxurious car gracefully, silver hair blowing in the wind, expensive clothing impeccable, and speaking into the phone with a deep, commanding voice. The man was magnificent there was no denying it.

The woman did cast her eye over Iruka as he exited the vehicle after Kakashi, but dismissed him after a single glance. In his old worn clothes and hair flying wild, he knew any woman would rather set their sights on the tall, elegant figure. He did not begrudge her for the dismissal and simply went to retrieve their bags from the driver who was pulling them out of the car boot.

"Thank you for bringing us here." The tanned man smiled warmly as he shouldered his backpack. "I hope you get back safely and the traffic isn't too heavy."

"You're welcome, sir." The driver smiled back and went to hand over Kakashi's bag when Iruka reached for it.

The teacher's fingers never grasped the handle. Instead, a large pale hand reached around him and took the bag firmly, making Iruka and the driver jump slightly from Kakashi's unexpected appearance. While still talking on the phone, the large male nodded once to the driver and walked off towards the waiting plane. Iruka and the driver watched him walk away in silence for a moment before focusing back on each other.

"He's, ah, very quiet." Iruka smiled again to put the still surprised driver at ease.

"That he is," the uniformed man agreed with him slightly embarrassed.

"I'm sorry about the tension in the car before. I hope it wasn't too uncomfortable for you," he said apologetically, rubbing at his facial scar. "And I hope the rest of your evening is enjoyable."

The driver looked at him stunned for a moment before his face broke into a genuine smile. "Thank you," he said sincerely.

Iruka gave him a quick grin before turning and hurrying towards the plane. Kakashi was waiting for him at the stairs and seemed to have finished his call. The orphanage teacher couldn't help but smile bitterly at the scene in front of him; the powerful, rich businessman standing tall next to his private plane while the sexy air-hostess made smouldering eyes at him and tried to strike a pose which flaunted all her 'best assets'. As he drew closer, he could hear her voice on the wind and it sounded like she had a southern accent. That strange soft drawl you sometimes heard on movies with cowboys and wagons.

"And please, sir, if there is anything I can do to make your flight more enjoyable just let me know. I'm sure there is some form of _entertainment_ available that will appeal to you. Why don't you head on up and make yourself comfortable? I'll make sure your assistant gets on safely."

Oh, for the love of sanity, she was hitting on him! Iruka really wasn't surprised but what did shock him was the blatantly obvious way she was doing it. He hoped to high heaven that there was an extra compartment on the plane he could hide in if Kakashi did decide to take her up on her offer. Just because he wanted to get away from the man didn't mean he wanted to watch him get hot and heavy with someone else. An almost sick feeling settled in his empty stomach at the idea of Kakashi being intimate with someone else. The smile fell from his face as confusion swirled in his mind.

It would be a good thing if Kakashi found someone else that night to turn his attentions to. Wasn't that what Iruka wanted? Wasn't that his plan, to see the wealthy man bedding down with someone beautiful and more suited to his social standing? The fact that he felt sick and saddened by the thought was of no matter. Iruka didn't belong near him, which had been made abundantly clear by a number of people over the last few days.

It didn't matter if the idea of losing intimacy was hurtful, he didn't belong in this world, and that morning had shown that he couldn't trust Kakashi. At least if Kakashi found someone else the mind games and manipulation would stop... Even if it meant losing those beautiful moments of intimacy that had become precious memories for him. He dropped his gaze as the silver haired man turned at his arrival, missing the brief flash of concern that travelled through the narrowed grey eye.

"He's not my assistant. He's my companion," the deep voice stated firmly as the tall man turned and started ascending the stairs.

"My mistake," the woman drawled, watching the lean figure. "Welcome, sir," she commented absently as Iruka started to follow Kakashi.

The teacher didn't bother to answer her, she wouldn't have noticed if he did anyway. She was completely focused on the gorgeous businessman and there was a scary hunger in her eyes. It made him feel sorry for Kakashi. This woman didn't care that he was incredibly intelligent, had a wicked sense of humour, or was very gentle. She only cared that he was handsome and rich, therefore worth pursuing. It was sad.

The plane was a different layout to the last one but no less opulent. If anything, it was even more so. His bag was taken by Clarissa and stored in a small cupboard while he curiously gawked at the jet's interior. He was so distracted he forgot to get out another hair tie. There was no kitchenette but an open bar area with everything needed to mix any drink, cleverly designed in such a way that everything was safely secured in case of a bumpy ride. There were couches lining the walls, all in soft black leather, and a small table. The stylised leaf pattern, which had decorated the other plane, was prominent in this one too. A small alcove at the back must have been where the bathroom facilities lay. Thankfully, the air was warmer.

Kakashi was moving towards one of the couches, removing his thick black coat to reveal a dark charcoal suit beneath. The cut was perfect and just made him look all the more striking. A midnight blue tie overlay a black silk shirt. Kakashi was stunningly handsome and his outfit proclaimed wealth. The tall man wore the suit with ease and elegance, clearly showing himself to be the powerful corporation owner he was. It was intimidating.

Iruka dragged his eyes from the imposing figure and focused on what Clarissa was saying as he unwound the blue scarf that should have gone with the other man's outfit. It must have looked ridiculous with his plain attire.

"We will be ready to depart in just a few moments. Would you like something to drink before takeoff?"

"Could I just have some water please?" Iruka answered her, forcing politeness into his tone.

"Of course, sir. Still or sparkling?"

Iruka blinked in confusion at the question. There were different kinds of water?

"Um, just normal water thanks."

The look their hostess gave him was mildly depreciatory before she schooled her features and turned her gaze back to the silver haired man, now seated and watching them.

"And for you, Mr. Hatake?" Clarissa drawled provocatively. "What can _I_ offer you?"

A blush tinted tanned features slightly at the woman's brazenly obvious offer. Kakashi, though, just fixed her with a bored eye.

"I'll have normal water too. After that, I require privacy. Unless I press the call button stay in the cockpit with the pilots and don't bother us." The tone was ice cold.

Two sets of dark brows rose at the blatant dismissal. While Clarissa looked shocked and disappointed, Iruka frowned disapprovingly at the older man before he quickly spoke to the startled woman, attempting to break the heavy atmosphere.

"Miss, could you tell me how long it will take to get to Los Angeles please?" he asked kindly.

Clarissa turned to him and took a deep breath before lifting her chin, collecting herself once more. "It will take just over an hour."

"Thank you." Iruka smiled warmly but was only gifted with a cold look before she turned towards the bar area.

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, the tanned man walked over to one of the couches. Kakashi was leaning back comfortably in the plush leather watching him, a small, amused lift to the edges of his mouth. Iruka sat down a few seats over from the older man, not so far away that it would be considered rude, but not close enough to show he was comfortable in the other's presence. Their drinks were prepared quickly and delivered in crystal tumblers on a silver tray, Iruka thanked the woman and Kakashi just taking his glass.

"Will there be anything else before departure, sir?" Clarissa asked Kakashi in a clipped tone as she laid out non-slip coasters on the low table.

A silver eyebrow arched. "Were my earlier instructions not clear?"

This time Iruka did roll his eyes. Clarissa simply flushed indignantly and turned on her heel to stalk through the door separating the cockpit from the cabin. She did manage to refrain from slamming the door behind her. Silence reigned for a moment after her departure before Iruka sighed and fixed the pale man with a small frown.

"That was rude," he admonished.

"She was being rude." Kakashi's voice was bored and he reached up to loosen the dark tie, pulling it off and slipping it into his jacket pocket before flicking open the two top buttons of his shirt. Iruka determinedly ignored the flash of tempting pale skin.

"She was being flirtatious with you, not rude."

"She was being rude to you." the dark jacket was shrugged off and carelessly tossed on top of the black coat.

Iruka glared, resolutely keeping his eyes on Kakashi's face and refusing to watch the lean torso swathed in silk as it moved. "I'm old enough to look after myself with rude people. I've been getting a lot of practice in lately."

The grin Kakashi gave him for that little dig shone with pure amusement. "Why, sensei, how cruel. You've hurt my feelings."

"I'm sure you'll weep from the pain," the younger man drawled sarcastically.

"Will you cuddle me better if I do?"

Iruka just cocked an eyebrow and slumped back into his seat. "Sure, I'll buy you an ice cream while we're at it. Try and sweeten you up a bit."

"You're pretty sweet, maybe I should just eat you." Kakashi leered as the plane started to slowly move.

The usually kind face scowled darkly. "That's not going to happen."

The handsome man's amusement lessened slightly and a determined edge hardened his smile. Iruka turned away from that look and nervously gulped down half his water before setting the glass on the table. The last thing he needed to be doing was holding something crystal during takeoff. He clipped on his belt, cleverly tucked away between the soft couch folds so that when it wasn't worn during the flight it would not be noticed. If Kakashi hadn't already fastened his, Iruka wasn't sure he would have even known it was there.

Damn takeoff. At least with the design of the seating on the plane he couldn't look out a window and wouldn't have to watch the ground fall away. He didn't look at Kakashi to see if the older man was watching him, he didn't care right then. At least Kakashi seemed to be honouring the part of their bargain where conversation was ceased during takeoff and landing.

The plane gathered speed and his hands started to shake as he stared fixedly at the floor. There was nothing to watch as the plane gathered speed, nothing to distract him from what was to come. He didn't like watching the ground fall away when taking off, but he'd never realised before what a good distraction it really was, how much the visual stimulation helped. This was worse. This was so much worse than being able to look out the window.

The plane began to lift and he closed his eyes tightly, bowing his head so his hair hid his face. His breathing hitched in short shallow gasps and he clenched his hands in a white knuckled grip as the plane gave its awful shudder. This was so much worse than looking out of the window. It was horrible.

He suddenly heard his belt click undone, the band retracting from around his waist, as strong arms slid under his knees and behind his back. Dark, panicked eyes flew open as Iruka found himself easily lifted then settled on a warm lap. Kakashi leaned back into the thick upholstery, wrapping his arms around the smaller man even as Iruka protested loudly and tried to struggle free. Iruka was sitting sideways on the larger man's thighs with his legs stretched across the seats. It left him in a very awkward position to try to escape from.

"I'm not a fucking child!" the tanned man burst out angrily and pushed against one of the solid arms with as much strength as he could. It wouldn't budge!

"Shh, calm down," the deep voice rumbled above him soothingly.

"Fuck off!" Iruka snapped before flinching back instinctively as a large hand moved towards his face. Dark eyes closed tightly as his tanned hands shot up to block against a strike.

His eyes opened again in surprise as the warm hand cupped the side of his face and pressed his head against the broad chest. A pale cheek rested against his forehead as a warm thumb stroked gently over half his scar. Iruka froze, not relaxing by any means but not fighting anymore either. What the hell did Kakashi think he was doing? The plane was taking off; he was supposed to be left alone during takeoffs. It was part of their agreement!

"Deep breaths, Iruka. Nice deep breaths now."

Iruka focused on his breathing and realised how shallow and quick it was. Was he having a panic attack? He'd never had one before so he really wasn't sure. With his breathing to concentrate on and Kakashi's presence distracting him from the airplane's ascent, Iruka calmed. The elegant hand shifted to stroke through his hair but the arm anchoring him to the large male hadn't loosened its grip. Iruka ordered his body to relax, forcing the tension from his muscles.

"Did I just have a panic attack?" he asked in a low, unsure tone.

"No, you were just frightened." Kakashi's voice was also low, as if to calm a flighty animal.

The younger man tensed again in anger. "It would have been alright if you hadn't touched me."

The chest he was leaning against shifted as the older man shrugged a shoulder. "You needed a distraction."

Iruka sighed and just let his whole frame go loose. Damn the man for being right again. The teacher raised a hand to his face and pressed hard against his eyes in frustration.

"I hate this," he muttered angrily to no one in particular.

"Hate what?" The older man's voice was gentle and it just made the younger feel more frustrated and ridiculous.

"This person I've been for the last few days. Normally I'm not the one who needs help; I'm the person who helps everybody else. I'm the one who fixes problems, sorts situations out and keeps people sane. I'm supposed to be the responsible, reliable one not this… this incompetent, useless person I've been since leaving Japan. Not this annoying, desperate _thing_ you've met." He took a deep breath and dropped his hand away from his face. "You know, if we'd met a week ago, before Naruto and Sasuke got in trouble, and you tried to pull half the shit you have I would've either dismissed you so harshly you'd never wanted to see me again or smacked you into a wall… tried to, at least. I'm so sick of showing weakness in front of someone like you. I hate it."

There was silence for a few moments before Kakashi finally spoke, his voice low and thoughtful.

"I've met a lot of needy and helpless people in my life. Some because they're just built that way and others because they choose to be. Then there are those people, who are incredibly strong. They're self reliant, intelligent, and hard working but every now and then, they fall down. They stumble across something out of their depth or everything just becomes too much and they lose their way." Kakashi's hand lowered from his hair and took one of Iruka's limp hands, entwining their fingers. "Just because they collapse and need someone to help them back to their feet, hold their hand, and guide them for a little while, doesn't mean they won't walk again on their own."

Those words repeated over in Iruka's mind as he stared at their linked fingers.

"That may be true," he said eventually before removing his fingers from the long, pale ones. "But the people who have fallen need to be able to trust those holding their hand. Otherwise, it's better that they just sit on the ground until they can rise on their own again. Besides," he tried to push away from the older man but was held firmly in place, "I didn't fall. I had my legs kicked out from under me."

At that statement, the large body tensed just enough to be noticeable. Iruka knew that saying what he had wasn't going to incite a friendly response and was now more determined to get out of the strong grip than ever. Only a fool would anger and then stay in close proximity to someone as dangerous as Hatake Kakashi.

This time when he pushed at the arms there was no resistance. Iruka quickly slid off the older man's thighs and retreated a few seats distance. The slate eye locked onto chocolate ones, which were equally as hard. It was obvious in the expressions of both men that neither was going to back down. The only question was who would speak first.

As it turned out, Kakashi broke the silence. His voice was cool and calm but Iruka could clearly see the undercurrent to his words. "You're not complying with our agreement, Iruka. You didn't answer my question earlier."

"You've been breaking promises today too, Kakashi," Iruka stated flatly. "You asked earlier why I haven't eaten. It's because I'm so disgusted and angry over what happened this morning that every time I even think about having something to eat I want to throw up."

"_Disgusted_?"

"Yes, disgusted!" Iruka snapped, brown eyes flashing dangerously. "I trusted you. I let you in and gave you more of myself then I've ever given _anyone_ and you practically spat in my face!"

"I did no such thing," the older man responded in a low, tense tone.

"_Bullshit_," the normally warm voice growled. "You're so bent on control and manipulation that you don't even see it when you're seriously hurting others. So long as you get what you want, it's alright and any method is acceptable. It's not."

The larger frame shifted forwards, elbows resting on knees and causing the dark shirt to stretch over broad shoulders. "I've done nothing that you haven't allowed. You're walking a thin line here, Iruka."

"I'm sick of tiptoeing around your ego, Kakashi." Iruka's eyes were narrowed as he leaned forward, mirroring the older male's aggressive body language. "You've strategically backed me into a corner and I'm done with playing your games."

"Games?" There was a slight lift of the silver eyebrow as Kakashi fixed the teacher with a tiny smirk that held absolutely no humour. "You could have said no at any point during our association. You can't blame me for the choices you made."

"I'm not blaming you for the choices I've made. I'm blaming you for giving me shitty options during a time of desperation while having an alternative agenda centring on controlling another person."

"I've been helping you. I've been pulling you out of difficulty since we met in Tokyo. Are you saying you didn't need my help?"

"Oh no, you're not going to pull that card on me. You may have gotten me where I needed to go, but the entire process was a deceitful and orchestrated information gathering session. This was not done out of the kindness of your heart."

"I'm not allowed to get to know the person my apprentice is so attached to when the opportunity presents itself?"

"Oh, you're very clever, Kakashi, there's no doubt about that. You've managed to intersperse the negative with enough positives during our 'association' that any argument I throw at you can be countered. You contrive situations, which appear completely innocent but are targeted at gaining you more control. It's a wonderful Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde routine, except Dr. Jekyll's appearance doesn't change along with his personality. The incident during the car ride this evening is a classic example of that."

A faint tilt lifted the corner of the thin lips even as the single slate eye narrowed further. Iruka couldn't help but think Kakashi looked positively predatory and the younger man was just waiting for the strike. There was no doubt in his mind it was coming, but damned if he was going to back down this time. No fucking way.

"Why don't you enlighten me on what you think was occurring in the car, Iruka. I'm very interested to hear your view on things."

The tone of that deep, smooth voice was chilling. It clearly transmitted that whatever accusations Iruka could throw at him would be able easily deflected. Iruka knew that tone well from his younger years. Though the last time he'd heard it, the voice had been hoarser and contained more of a hiss. Ice shards of fear sliced through his chest and he could almost hear the hated demon's words as if the Warden were in the plane with him. But he was no longer a frightened defenceless child and he brutally banished the dark memories. The orphan _glared_ at the businessman with more venom than he'd been able to muster in years.

"I have already survived bigger mind fucks in my childhood than you can ever hope to unleash, Hatake." This time the words were growled and Iruka's hands fisted, his muscles unconsciously preparing themselves for instant action even though he remained seated. "I've dealt with a far more disturbed individual than you. You don't even come close to matching up against him. I can smell a discordian argument a mile away and I know what you're doing. You want to play in someone's head, toy with one of your drones. I will _not_ tolerate this."

The last words came out as a snarl and Kakashi's eye widened at the vehemence in small man's voice. Long hair framed furiously slitted eyes, the normally warm brown darkened to almost black. The gentle and open face was set with barely contained fury that was so palpable it flowed from the slight frame in dark waves. The young orphanage teacher looked downright dangerous.

Kakashi thought Iruka was stunning. He wanted to close the distance between them and savour that passion, taste the anger on the full lips, and allow Iruka to release the bottled up fury on him. He had a feeling it would be magnificent.

More immediate than his carnal desire, though, was what Iruka was feeling. The smaller man was right; Kakashi had been playing with him. It hadn't been completely intentional; it was just so exquisite to draw emotion forth from the teacher. Iruka was always totally committed to his emotions and so beautifully animated in everything he felt. Watching and interacting with the younger man was refreshing and infinitely enlivening. However, he knew he'd gone too far. This time, he'd seriously fucked up.

This wasn't what he'd wanted at all. He didn't want to make Iruka feel the pain of his past or fear and anger like this. To manipulate situations and take control, it was just in Kakashi's nature.

But, he knew it was no excuse. He needed to change the situation from just being focused on the two of them. To draw other characters into the discussion and give Iruka something else to focus on for a while.

"It wasn't my intention to resemble that man from your past, Iruka," Kakashi said quietly. "Seeing you interact with Itachi this afternoon... he's not a good man. It angered me when he grabbed you like that."

"So what, you decide to take that anger out on me through forceful contact and further manipulation?" Iruka snapped furiously, dark red spreading across the scar on his face. "You walked out this morning after I… and you manhandled me when you _promised_ not to do it anymore! Then the first thing you do when we meet up again is aggressively and physically stake your claim! What the fuck is with that?"

Kakashi dragged a hand through his hair in frustration. "I know. It's not the smartest move I've ever made. I just didn't like seeing him touch you."

"I'm not your goddamn property!" A tanned fist slammed into the leather of the couch.

"I never said you were," Kakashi bit back, his temper spiking in the face of the other's anger and refusal to allow him to steer the conversation in the direction he wanted it to go.

"Then stop acting like it! All you've done since I met you is pull me from pillar to post like a plaything," the smaller man seethed heatedly.

"Then why did you get on this plane with me?" the larger male demanded, his eye dangerously narrowed.

"Because I have a debt to pay, you moron," Iruka almost yelled, his voice taking on strained, overly emotional tone. "Because I owe you and this is what you asked for."

Damn it! Iruka could feel his eyes starting to burn with the effort to hold back tears of frustration. His heart was pounding in his chest, his stomach clenched in a nervous knot, and his hands were shaking. He desperately wanted to get up and pace the cabin just to disperse some of his nervous energy, but knew that it would be seen as a further sign of weakness.

"I've already told you that the money means nothing to me. It's less than pocket change."

"It means something to me!" Iruka yelled, a choked sob almost escaped from his throat as soon as the words left his mouth but he swallowed it back down furiously. The younger man dropped his head into his hands for an instant before raking them through his hair and ignoring the strands that ripped out when knots caught on his fingers. "I'm so happy for you that you can throw around that kind of cash as a pittance but it's a lifetime's savings for me!"

The older man just stared at him in what Iruka could only assume equated to shock. The stunning face was still perfectly controlled but the grey eye was slightly wider than usual and the mouth somewhat softer. Iruka wasn't sure whether to laugh or scream. He felt as though he was at his wits end.

"That amount you so casually told me you paid is everything I have to protect me and my little brother!" Tears he'd been so desperately holding back burned hot trails down his cheeks and just served to anger him further. "I could afford to pay it, but I'd have nothing left. _Nothing_! I'd be stuck here, unable to get home or even pay for somewhere to sleep. My only other option was to ask Sasuke for a loan. Do you have any idea how much that would have hurt? Naruto and I _swore_ we'd never ask Sasuke for a cent. _Never_. He needs to know we love him for who he is and not how much he has, yet I thought I was going to have to break my vow and ask him to pay. My pride and the financial safety of my family was on the line and I didn't know what the fuck to do then you walk out and say you've taken care of everything and the only thing you want in return is my company. Damn it, Kakashi, what was I suppose to do?"

As his outburst ended, Iruka took a deep trembling breath and swiped impatiently at the moisture still falling from his eyes. Shame at his emotional state burned in his gut as Kakashi continued to watch him in stunned silence.

Iruka let out a harsh single laugh before giving up trying to clear his face of tears and slumping back in his seat.

"Do you know what the shittiest thing is?" the rhetorical question uttered in a defeated tone. "I wanted to go with you. I wanted to get to know you better and have a chance to find out about you. For someone like me to have the opportunity to spend time with someone like you is unheard of. I was excited about the chance to learn about Sasuke's business life, to hear about your life and find out what it is that you love and hate, what you're passionate about. I find you so interesting and enjoyable to talk to when you're not being a manipulative prick that the idea of spending a few evenings with you was actually attractive. Fuck, I should have known better."

This seemed to finally snap Kakashi from his immobility, a pale hand half reaching towards the distressed teacher before retracting again. "Iruka, I… I had no idea."

"You had some idea," the smaller man snapped angrily before burying his face in his hands to hide the fresh set of tears. His eyes just wouldn't stop watering and it was infuriating. "Damn it, Kakashi, you have to be the _dumbest_ smart person I've ever met!"

"You have no idea how true that is right now."

The words were murmured in his ear as arms wrapped around him and pulled him tightly against the larger body. Iruka instantly growled and shoved violently against the solid frame, standing and stalking away from the older man.

"Don't," he bit out and took a steadying breath. "Just don't."

Kakashi made no move to follow him, the two of them remaining where they were for a long awkward moment not looking at each other. As if the gods decided to take pity, Kakashi's phone began to ring, the muffled tone sounding strangely loud in the silence between them. Panic shot through Iruka's chest.

"Shit, Kakashi, you're supposed to turn your phone off before flights. It screws up the plane's syst-"

"You can get phones with flight safe functions, Iruka," the businessman interrupted him in a gentle tone, yet made no move to answer the call.

"Aren't you going to get that?" the aggravated teacher asked impatiently.

"This is more important. If it's urgent, they'll call back."

The younger man huffed in frustration and rubbed a hand over his eyes, clearing away the last of the moisture. Finally they had dried. "Please, just answer it. I need the break."

Kakashi frowned, hesitating a moment longer before he dug into the coat pocket and retrieved the trilling device.

"What?" he snapped into the phone before listening then sighing in frustration. "Put him through."

As the silver haired man began speaking into the phone once more, he rose and approached the smaller man, stopping at a respectable distance and holding out his hand. Between the long fingers was a hair tie. Iruka didn't look at the older man as he took the band and walked away to take a seat once more, messily tying back his wayward hair.

The rest of the flight passed in much the same way as the earlier car ride had. Iruka sat sideways on the plush leather, shoes kicked off and legs crossed comfortably – if not defensively – in schoolyard style. He stared out the window without seeing the clouded scenery, too deeply lost in thought. Kakashi conducted business over the phone, sometimes in English or Japanese but also in other languages that the young sensei couldn't identify.

Only when it was time to land was the phone put away and Clarissa made an appearance, asking them with detached professionalism to fasten their seatbelts in preparation for descent. As the young woman retreated once more to the cockpit, Kakashi moved to sit beside Iruka. They didn't speak but a slender tan hand was held in a larger pale one, thumb brushing gently over the cinnamon skin until the wheels touched the tarmac. Iruka had to concede that it did help.

**…**

Los Angeles. Famous for being home to movie makers, stars, and celebrities, the base for Hollywood and one of the most renowned cities in the world. Iruka thought the streets would have been cleaner; there really was a lot of litter. There were also lots of palm trees. The teacher knew that the image the city was going for was the appeal of a tropical paradise, but he still couldn't help but feel it showed a lack of inspiration in landscaping. That and the coconut risk factor must have been through the roof!

"I wonder how many people are killed every year," he muttered absently at his window.

"Killed by what?"

Shyly, he turned to Kakashi who was steering them through the nighttime traffic. An expensive, sleek black car had been waiting for them when they landed, a uniformed man standing by to hand Kakashi the keys. They had thrown their bags in the boot and were now cruising through the balmy LA evening.

While the tension from earlier had eased off, an intense awkwardness had replaced it. This was the first attempt at conversation since their altercation during the flight and it just had to have been started by him absently remarking on something so idiotic. At least it was a safe topic, Iruka was thankful for small mercies. The already tentative dynamic of their relationship had changed drastically within the course of the day and Iruka was no longer sure where he stood in the eyes of the other.

Rubbing nervously at his nose scar, Iruka blushed a bit as he answered the older man's question. "Killed by coconuts. There're a lot of palm trees around but I realise that not all palm trees are coconut palms. Still, I was just wondering if anyone had walked under one of the coconut palms here and been killed by one falling on their head. A coconut, not the tree that is - Shut up!" He snapped defensively but in good humour with a grin on his face as the older man began to chuckle. "I know it's stupid, I was just thinking out loud."

Kakashi glanced over at him and the smile on the pale lips broadened. "Well, if you think about it from the coconut's point of view it's really only fair it gets a chance to try and take out a human before someone picks it up and eats it. Uses it for a dish like the prawns last night, mixed with the mango sauce."

Iruka couldn't help but let out a small laugh. It was the most ridiculous thing he'd heard Kakashi say. At first, he'd wondered if the wealthy man was ridiculing him, but it was obvious that Kakashi was taking the topic of killer coconuts as a chance to break the tension between them.

"Mmm, that dinner was great." Iruka sighed as he thought of the food from the night before. "Thanks again for it. I've never had the opportunity to eat such food before. Do you eat like that all the time?"

A broad shoulder shrugged lazily as the older man smoothly changed lanes. "I don't really think about it. Generally, I just eat whatever's available wherever I am. In the army it was mostly rations and canned food, when staying in hotels its room service and restaurant fare, at home I'll just have something quick and easy. I'm not that fussy with food. What about you?"

"I usually end up cooking three times a day if not more. When Naruto's at home, I'll make proper cooked breakfasts because he's growing and needs to refuel all that energy somehow. If I left him to fend for himself, it would be instant ramen for every meal everyday! The brat's addicted to the stuff, so I have to round it out with some healthy food. Then I make sure the kids have a good lunch at the orphanage. Usually, I get two or three of them in the kitchen to help out and use it as an opportunity to teach them life-skills they'll need. The other guys are pretty shocking at cooking and really can't be trusted near a kitchen, especially not with children present. After that, it's back home and I'll cook up dinner for the three of us. Sasuke's normally around in the evenings and sometimes he and Naruto will bring other friends over as well." Iruka gave a warm laugh and scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Seems I'm always either cooking or doing dishes. But if it means the boys are healthy, safe, and home I really don't mind."

"What about when the boys aren't at home?"

"Huh?" the teacher asked, the question catching him off guard.

"What do you eat when Naruto's not there? He and Sasuke have been out of Japan for months now. Are you still cooking full meals for yourself?"

Iruka frowned at the questions. "No, if it's just me I tend to cook up quick easy meals or just grab some fruit. I don't go to a lot of effort."

"Bet you skip a few meals too, hm?"

The younger man's frown deepened as his eyes rose to look at the older man. "Sometimes I just can't be bothered and I'm too tired from work to prepare a meal. Either that or I'm just not hungry."

The silver crowned head nodded a few times before Kakashi's eye slid over to him briefly, a small understanding smile tilting the thin lips. "It's too lonely eating by yourself," he stated.

Iruka didn't answer. It hit far too close to home and the larger man's words hadn't been a question. Instead he turned to look out at the passing scenery again and wondered how even the simplest conversations with the man managed to turn into revealing windows of his life.

"You know," Kakashi continued in a low tone, drawing Iruka's attention to him once more. "I rarely get to eat with company either. I don't live with anyone and travel so much it's hard to catch up with friends. There've been times when all I'd wish for is a familiar warm body sitting with me while I eat, even if they're totally silent."

The pale man continued to focus on the traffic but the smile was still on his lips and Iruka realised that Kakashi really did understand. The lifestyle the he lived must be a very lonely one. While the gorgeous wealthy business tycoon would easily be able to attract company (for business or pleasure), they would be there only because of _what_ Kakashi is rather than _who_ he is. The thought made Iruka sad. It would be such a shallow existence to constantly be judged for the wealth of one's possessions rather than the wealth of one's character. This would be especially so for someone of Kakashi's calibre.

_He's even lonelier than I am._

The unexpected realisation slowly seeped into his mind. Slender fingers rubbed absently at the scar running across his nose and Iruka licked his dry lips as he concentrated on his stomach. It was calm, the sick nervousness gone for the time being. As the car came to a halt for a red light, he came to a decision.

"Hey, you hungry?" Iruka tried not to wince at the uncertainty in his voice.

The single slate eye slid over to lock with his, the striking pale features highlighted in red from the break lights of the vehicle stopped in front of them. The expression was as schooled as always, but the eye watching him so intently showed a mixture of regret and hope.

"Starving," the powerful man said simply.

Kakashi looked like a person in need of a companion and the teacher knew he would answer the call. Even though the older man didn't know yet, the reality of their situation was that this was their last night together. For their last meal, Iruka would give Kakashi the companionship he craved. The younger man wanted this last opportunity just to speak with the fascinating person who had breezed into his life and managed to flip it upside-down within a few short days. The tension that had been in his body through out the day eased a little and a warm smile slipped naturally onto his face.

"You covered dinner last time so it's my buy tonight. Know any good ramen places around here by any chance?"

The smile, which lit up Kakashi's face, was genuine and breathtakingly beautiful.

"Nope," he chirped as he pulled his phone from his pocket and flicked it open. "But I can find out."

**…**

"And then Naruto comes barrelling in through the front door completely naked, covered head to toe in purple paint, brandishing a plunger and chalkboard eraser like weapons, screaming 'The wizard stole my uterus!' at the top of his lungs," Iruka managed to choke out between fits of laughter.

"His uterus?" Kakashi gasped, his own laughter ringing around the small outdoor area of the restaurant they were sitting at.

"Yeah, then he skidded to a halt when he saw the couple meeting with Sarutobi, pointed and yelled 'You're the pervert that stole my uterus! Pervert!' at the poor man." Iruka had to stop and gasp in a few breaths by this point. "His… his wife looked _horrified_!" the young man managed to say as Kakashi continued to laugh hard, the gorgeous male leaning on the table for support. "Then he threw the eraser at the man, who was so shocked at getting accused of being a uterus snatching pervert that he didn't even dodge. It hit him square in the forehead leaving behind the clearest chalky imprint you've ever seen. Naruto starts waving around his plunger screaming that he wants his uterus back and," Iruka had to pause to try and control his laughter again at this stage, "and I quote... oh this is the best bit. He yelled 'I have a right to bear children! My breasts are still young and firm'!"

By this stage, the teacher was in no condition to keep talking as he submitted to gales of mirth. Kakashi almost doubled over as he laughed so hard his cheeks turned pink.

"So, needless to say, he was not adopted," Iruka managed to pant out when he finally gained control over his merriment.

"Oh hell, Sarutobi must have wanted to kill him," Kakashi chuckled, shaking his head in amazement at the story's end.

"Nah," the younger man waved a dismissive hand, "he knew that no matter what happened Naruto and I would have to go as a package deal. Even with his scars, Naruto could have been adopted out easily because of his rare colouring. Me, on the other hand, certainly didn't sweeten the deal. There was too much psychological trauma there for me to ever be a good adoption candidate and I wasn't cute enough with all the scarring to tempt any potential parents."

Everything Iruka said was stated with honesty and ease. He didn't feel sorry for himself because of his childhood circumstances and was very pleased with how his life had turned out. He'd never been bitter that no one had wanted to adopt him. After all, there were plenty of boys at the orphanage who had never been adopted and they made a better family for each other than any outsider would have been able to provide them with. There was no sadness that he'd never been taken into another's family. He was very content with his life as it stood.

"What Sarutobi did want to kill him for, though, was the fact that the couple put in a complaint and the department sent out an official to investigate the situation. That led to mass amounts of paper work and questions over whether our sexual education had been started a little too early. They demanded to know what educational material we'd been presented with." Iruka chuckled warmly. "Naruto surprised us all that day, actually. He walked up to the official and quite firmly told him that unless I was adopted out with him he would use any method he felt necessary to scare off potential clients and stay by my side. When the official asked him why, Naruto simply responded that it was because I was his brother and you don't split up family. The man stared at him dumbfounded because the little tyke sounded about a hundred years older than his time when those words came out."

"How did you react?" Kakashi asked with a soft smile.

The smaller man chuckled and scratched the back of his head. "I seem to recall I walked over, bopped him on the head gently, and called him an idiot before bursting into tears. I was very happy. Told him that when I was old enough I'd adopt him, then he yelled at me there was no way he'd let that happen and he would adopt me first. It kinda digressed into a rather childish argument after that but the official was satisfied and went away."

"Sounds to me like there really wasn't much left he could have said. If it's anything like the bond you share now, any idiot would have been able to see how inseparable you two are."

"Yeah," Iruka sighed happily, "I don't know what I'd do without him and the guys in my life."

"Well, hopefully you'll never have to find out."

"Cheers to that!" The younger man grinned happily before raising his teacup in a toast.

"So," Iruka said after they'd set their cups down, "what's the deal with this party tonight? You've not given me any information and I'd prefer to know what I'm getting into, especially after some of the stories Naruto told me earlier."

The silver haired man chuckled. "What'd he say?"

"Oh, ridiculous stories about secret fight clubs, mass amounts of topless women, and raging drug orgies," he said with a grin. "You know, just the usual affair."

"Well, I can promise there won't be any drug orgies," Kakashi answered, a teasing twinkle in his grey eye. "But the other stuff… Maa, you'll just have to wait and see. Besides, I'm sure you'd enjoy a good lap dance or two."

The teacher just gave a cheeky grin and winked at the older man. "So long as you're the one dancing, toots."

Kakashi's laughter at that was loud and appreciative as Iruka slouched lazily back in his chair and grinned happily at the reaction.

"Who knew you had it in you." the unique curvy eye smile was flashed.

"Hey, I can give as good as I get, pal, and don't you forget it."

An elegant hand was held up in surrender. "I most certainly will keep it in mind from now on."

"Good. Now, stop dodging and give me the detail on tonight. What's your friend's name?"

"Genma. We were in the army together and are old friends. Some of the others will be there tonight too and we only catch up a few times a year so I didn't want to miss the opportunity."

Cocking his head slightly to the side, Iruka regarded Kakashi with dark eyes. "They must be very precious to you. You don't strike me as the type to have many close friends."

"I don't."

The two simple words were all that were needed. It was obvious to the teacher that any Kakashi let enter into his inner circle were ones he'd shared major experiences with and they'd earned his loyalty. For the first time that day, Iruka actually felt an interest in the upcoming party. He wanted to meet the people that a guarded character like Kakashi would consider to be true friends.

"Well, I look forward to meeting them then. I'm surprised you're taking me along to something like this actually. If they're that close to you, I'd think you'd not often include others in your get togethers."

Kakashi nodded. "If it was just us I might not have invited you, more for the fact that you'd feel excluded in our conversation than anything else. We tend to talk a lot about old times. But it's a house party and there will be many guests there."

Iruka relaxed a little bit. House parties he could deal with. They usually included people just sitting around and chatting aimlessly about what ever came up. He finished the last of his tea as the older man looked at his watch.

"Well, time's getting on and I'd like to be there before the majority of the guests turn up so we can have a shower and get ready," the smooth voice murmured.

Nervousness once more made an appearance in the younger man's chest. He only had simple clothing with him. He only owned simple clothing.

"What's the dress code for tonight?"

The striking man smiled at him gently and Iruka once again cursed his revealing face. His anxiety must have been obvious.

"Just casual dress tonight. Nothing fancy."

The tension drained from slender shoulders. "Okay. I'll just go pay, won't be a moment."

As he rose, a large hand caught his wrist. "Why don't you let me-"

"I already told you dinner's on me," Iruka interrupted the other's words impatiently. "For goodness sake, I'm not so destitute that I can't even pay for ramen. Trust me; you eat a hell of a lot less than Naruto."

The gorgeous face split into a stunning smile and Iruka swallowed the extra saliva suddenly pooling in his mouth while pulling his wrist from the warm grip. That man's smile was far too disarming. He'd learned an important lesson that morning and only a fool would forget it so quickly. It wasn't safe to trust Kakashi. The man was a master at manipulation and far too intelligent for comfort, Iruka would not allow himself to be sucked in by the charismatic charm that wafted from his every pore. He might be naive in some aspects, but he wasn't an idiot.

As the small male walked inside, a narrowed stormy eye followed his progress intently. Handsome pale features drifted briefly into a frown before settling in into an expression of determination. The damage done from that morning wasn't irreparable. Kakashi knew this was more because of Iruka's great capacity to forgive than anything else. He was just going to have to play it smarter from here on out. As the orphanage teacher finished paying for their meal and made his way back, the wealthy businessman once more schooled his features into a lazy smile.

**…**

Groaning in disbelief, Iruka dropped his face into the palm of his hand and shook his head. Why was nothing concerning Hatake Kakashi ever simple?

"Well it is a house party, it's just a rather large house," the troublesome character in question said, amusement obvious in the deep voice.

"It's a _mansion_, Kakashi. I'm pretty damn sure it's only two bathrooms and a horse stable off being a castle," Iruka deadpanned.

A chuckle drifted to his ears as the teacher raised his eyes to once more regard the building they were driving up to. Two stories of sandstone extravagance stared right back at him.

"Oh come on, it's not that big." Iruka gave him a look, which clearly said the older man was being facetious. Kakashi just smirked damn sexily. "Mine's bigger," he drawled.

An inelegant snort of amusement escaped the teacher as he shook his head. "Damn lecher."

There were dozens of cars already parked on large pebbled expanse in front of the building, all the makes and models ridiculously expensive and impressive. Iruka knew he should have expected something like this. As they'd driven through the suburbs, the houses had slowly increased in both size and extravagance. Still, a small, obviously delusional, corner of his mind had wondered if they wouldn't just pull up to a nice, average sized home tucked away on a quiet, out of the way street. Ha!

The car slowed to a halt and they climbed out into the balmy night air. Retrieving their bags from the boot, they walked towards the beautiful building with loud music and general crowd sounds drifting from it. Iruka fidgeted with his hands absently until Kakashi sent him a comforting smile, then he stuffed his hands in his pockets and mildly glared back in defiance. In defiance of what, he wasn't sure, but he was feeling uncomfortable and out of his depth again so by golly he'd glare if he wanted to.

"I thought you said you wanted to get here before the other guests arrived. It's already a full house."

"Maa, I might have gotten the times mixed up." Kakashi grinned, his eye curving into a happy crescent.

It was at that moment the front door flew open and two women ran out of the house, laughing and squealing as they sprayed each other with water from colourful super soakers. The spectacle of two fully-grown women doing this would have been strange enough to the teacher normally, but the fact that they were clad in nothing other than very small g-strings made Iruka stop dead in his tracks and gape in shock. Iruka knew he was flushed dark red as he dropped his gaze to the ground and gripped tightly to the strap of his backpack with one hand, fisting the other in his pocket. The practically naked women ignored them as they took off running to continue their mad game between the cars, using them as cover.

"Is that embarrassment or arousal, sensei?" Kakashi chuckled next to him.

Anger flared in Iruka's chest at the older man's mockery. Of course he was embarrassed! He'd never seen anything like that in his life, and the women were so shameless! Kakashi was obviously completely unperturbed by the situation, but Iruka wasn't used to things like that. He knew that any normal red-blooded male would likely stop and look their fill at the two women, but he just found the situation to be unsettling.

"Fuck you," he bit out angrily shrugging his backpack into a more comfortable position. "Let's get this over with already."

He stepped towards the house, but a hand wrapping around his elbow halted his movement. "Iruka-"

Embarrassed and angry brown eyes locked with still amused grey. "Look, Kakashi, you wanna get some entertainment out of watching me deal with shit like this then that's your advantage." The smaller male's eyes narrowed further. "But if you think I'll placidly stand by and let you ridicule me, you got another thing coming."

"Ooh, I like this one!"

Iruka's head whipped to the door where a tall man with dark blond hair was grinning at them around the toothpick in his mouth. The man had spoken in English but obviously understood the conversation he and Kakashi had been having. Kakashi released his elbow and stepped towards the new comer.

"I figured you would," the silver haired man said in English.

The blond man walked forward and then the two of them were hugging like only long parted friends could, roughly thumping each other on the back.

"Kakashi, me old mate, it's been too long."

"That it has." Kakashi stepped back and held out his arm in invitation for Iruka to come forward. "This is Iruka. Iruka, this grinning git is Genma, an old army buddy of mine and new owner of this 'castle'."

"Castle?" Genma laughed, and Iruka finally recognised the strange accent as being Australian. "Dunno 'bout that. Reckon I'd be needing to have a moat or something first."

"Oh, is that what you wanted for a housewarming gift?" Kakashi asked as he unzipped and reached into his bag. "Well, I figured this would come in a bit handier."

He pulled a flat, brown paper wrapped object out and offered it to the Australian. Genma eyed the package suspiciously for a moment before accepting it and ripping off the paper, revealing a book. He stared at the cover for a second before barking out a laugh and punching Kakashi in the shoulder.

"Fuckin' wanker."

He flipped the book around to show Iruka the title, which read 'The Complete Idiot's Guide to Supercharged Karma Sutra'. Iruka couldn't help himself as he cracked up laughing. It was too similar to a present he and his friends might have exchanged.

"Nice t'meet ya, Iruka." Genma grinned and held out his hand, giving the smaller man's a firm shake in greeting. "Don't mind Kakashi pissing you off. He pisses everyone off. It's a talent of his along with being late to _everything_, including his good mate's housewarming."

"Maa," Kakashi scratched the back of his hair sheepishly, "I was making good time-"

"And then you got lost on the road of life." Genma finished for the sliver haired man. "Yeah, yeah, I know. C'mon, Iruka, no point letting the flies in even if the view out here is rather fetching." The blond leered as the two mostly naked women went dashing past them and back into the house. "And now it's dull again. Well, hoik 'em up, fellas, I'll show ya where to dump your crap."

* * *

**AN: Sooo, been awhile. I know that some of you have been happily plotting my immanent demise; however I bring you more ficcage!**

**This chapter was an absolute bastard. My brain flatly refused to vomit! So then, because so many of you were writing to me and threatening bodily harm, I decided to try and plan the chapter. I wrote it three times, THREE, and every time it was complete and utter **_**crap**_**!**

**So we all had to wait for my brain to vomit. And the result… Genma became and Aussie ^_^**

**For those of you who don't know, I'm Australian. So the chapters containing Genma will likely be filled with lovely phrases and words most of you have never heard of. I'll likely have to put a list down the bottom in my AN to explain what they all mean. I'll start with these:**

**Wanker should always be pronounced as 'wanka'.**

**To 'hoik' something up is just to lift it.**

**These are all just common words we use in our everyday lives over here.**

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter. It was good fun to see Iruka finally fighting back! Fingers crossed my brain decides to expel more plot soon. In the mean time, take it easy and drop me a review if so inclined. Later ^_^ **

**Edited July 2010 and there's likely still mistakes in there, pesky buggers.**


	8. Party Animals

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. All I own is this brain vomit and it's mine! All mine! Mwahahaha! **

**AN: Yeah… sorry about the wait. Seeing as I'm sure you're all going to yell at me for keeping you hanging I'm gonna run away and let my wonderful editor, Sal, tell you all how frustrating I've been ^_^**

**Sal's notes: Go find the 'Australian-English Glossary' online, you will need this. Trust me, you will need this. Otherwise, everything will be all sleaved up. And don't feel bad if you don't have a clue what it means… half the time I don't either.**

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**Stranger Situations**

**Chapter 8: Party Animals**

With a small groan of annoyance, Sasuke felt himself rising from the blissful oblivion of slumber and back into the world of the conscious. The dreamless sleep he'd been cocooned in had been warm and peaceful, but as he awoke the aches and pains in his body reawakened with him along with a rather severe headache. He struggled to slip back into blessed darkness but the pain in his skull prevented it.

"Come on, princess, rise'n'shine."

The corner of his mouth curled up in a small snarl as Naruto's voice caused him to wake completely.

"Idiot," was the first word out of his mouth and Sasuke was surprised at the rawness to his voice.

Obsidian eyes cracked open and were greeted with the sight of a water glass hovering right over his head. That got him moving.

"Oi!" he snapped as he shot up in bed and slapped the hand holding the glass away. Water slopped out over Naruto's arm and across the blanket covering Sasuke's legs.

"What the hell?" the blonde yelled angrily as he transferred the glass to his other hand and shook the water off his arm. Sasuke's head gave a painful throb at the loud outburst. "What's your problem, bastard?"

"The fuck, Naruto! You were going to pour water on me?"

"I was being nice, asshole. You've been out for five hours and Iruka said you'd been standing out in the cold before then so I figured you'd got yourself a headache."

The pounding in Sasuke's head was testament to how right his friend was. Hazy black eyes met with affronted sky blue and Sasuke couldn't hide a wince of pain.

"Fuck's sake." With a much put upon sigh, Naruto reached for the plastic water jug and topped up the glass before handing it to Sasuke. "Here."

Sasuke took the offered drink and downed it quickly before holding out the glass for more. With a roll of his eyes, Naruto grabbed the water container and complied with the unspoken request.

"Jeeze, you're even more of a grouchy bastard than usual," Naruto huffed as the raven-haired man started sipping at the water slowly so as not to make himself sick. "Defensive much?"

"Hn." Sasuke grimaced at the taste of the cool liquid, the plastic of the container had flavoured the water, and it was fairly foul but effective none the less. Already, he could feel that the tightness in his temples easing.

Casting his eyes around the room, the absence of their earlier visitor did not go unnoticed. "Where's Iruka?"

"Dunno, woke up and he was gone. The nurse that dropped off dinner a while ago said that visiting hours are over; your food's over there by the way. I think it's supposed to be lasagne but instead morphed into mince and pasta soup. Anyway, Ru'll be in LA by now."

Sasuke shot a sharp look at the sun kissed blonde and prayed he'd heard wrong. "LA?"

A wide grin lit up Naruto's face as he stretched his arms above his head and arched his back. "Yeah, lucky guy." A crack sounded and the blonde sighed in satisfaction before relaxing into a slump again. "That Kakashi guy's got party on tonight and invited Ru along. He wasn't gonna go but I told him he had to! I mean, that would be awesome! A real LA party, just think of it. He's gonna have a blast, can't wait to hear the story tomorrow."

While Naruto chattered on happily, Sasuke had paled dramatically. Iruka… with Kakashi… in LA… at a party… The dark haired young man had no doubt that if he hadn't already had a headache that news would have given him one for sure. Could this complete disaster of a situation get any worse? Gods, it was all his fault. The corporate prodigy dropped his head into his hand and took a deep, shuddering breath desperately trying to calm himself.

If he had only seen that damn car coming none of this would have happened. As if the guilt of Naruto being injured wasn't enough, he had now endangered his other closest friend. Iruka was completely at the mercy of Kakashi and apparently had been since New York. He knew there had to be more to the story Iruka had told him, the hickey he'd seen the day before was testament to that. The gentle man would never have left them; Sasuke knew that, which meant Kakashi had somehow forced him into it. Sasuke knew his sensei had developed an unhealthy interest in the kind teacher, and Kakashi could be ruthless when it came to pursuing something he wanted. Onyx eyes widened against his palm at that thought.

Oh fuck… Kakashi didn't _want_ Iruka, did he?

The idea of that sent a wave of gut wrenching anxiety through his system. A fascination with Iruka was scary but manageable; if his sensei actually decided that he _wanted_ the gentle teacher then they were in huge trouble!

Kakashi hunted down and took what he wanted with a single-minded ruthlessness that absolutely terrified Sasuke. He'd never see his sensei pursue a person before for romantic interest, but he had seen snippets of just how brilliantly the businessman could scheme when the he had gone after someone for revenge. The poor victim hadn't been harmed physically in any way but had been completely financially and emotionally destroyed. It still made Sasuke's blood run cold and had concreted the fact that he never wanted Hatake Kakashi as an enemy.

And just to make the situation even worse, Iruka had also met Itachi. The memories of those hours spent in the garden with his brother swam through his mind in a haze of sickening shame and humiliation that he didn't want to remember. It had been so cold in the wind, so painful for his battered body to stand for all that time, so degrading to let Itachi speak to him however he pleased. The only reason he had allowed it to happen was because of the brainless, clueless idiot sitting in the chair next to him. Sasuke had to keep his brother away from his beloved friend, had to protect the damn idiot from that part of his life even if he'd failed to protect Iruka from it. Everything was so messed up.

"Stop that." The glass was taken from Sasuke's hand and a weight settled on the edge of his bed. A warm arm wrapped around his shoulders and pulled him roughly against an equally warm body, Naruto's scent wrapping around him. When Sasuke had been a small boy his father had taken him to a business associate's property on the outskirts of Nagasaki. The property was old and very large, at the back of it was a dense forest. Wild, lush, and warm under the summer sun, with gentle winds blowing and soft, thick grass underfoot. That's what Naruto smelt like and Sasuke breathed the scent deep into his lungs.

A hand rubbed over black spikes that were already chaotic from sleep, further messing them up. "It's been a shitty day already so stop beating yourself up over whatever it is you're regretting. It'll sort itself out."

Obsidian eyes narrowed angrily and Sasuke jerked out of the comforting embrace. It was all well and good for Naruto to say everything would somehow magically sort itself out but reality was a much harsher mistress. Thinking about the threat his sanctuary was under frightened and infuriated him like nothing else. Sasuke couldn't lose the brothers, he couldn't even handle the thought of losing them and yet his carelessness might just cost him exactly that.

"You have no idea. No idea what's happening, moron," he snapped and squeezed his eyes shut as he felt power swell behind them, threatening to bleed the black orbs red. Pinching the bridge of his nose to stave off the reaction, Sasuke continued speaking in a low hiss even as his headache throbbed harshly. "Iruka is all alone with Kakashi in a place he's never been before surrounded by a bunch of the most manipulative fucks you've ever met and I'm not there to protect him! Itachi's sniffing about an-"

_Smack_.

Cerulean eyes glared at him as Sasuke raised a hand in surprise to where he'd just been slapped in the back of the head.

"Geeze, for someone always harping on that he's smarter than me you can be a real fucking idiot sometimes," The blonde growled. "You have no idea of the 'manipulative fucks' we've dealt with. My brother's one tough guy. He can handle Kakashi and anyone else the world decides to throw at him, believe it!" Naruto threw his hands up in aggravation. "And so the hell what if we've finally met Kakashi and your asshole brother? You think that's going to suddenly change who we are? You think we're gonna disappear and leave you or love you any less?"

Sasuke could only gape. Naruto had always been a passionate person but Sasuke had never seen him quite so adamant before. The blonde was on a roll and forged ahead with true Naruto thickheadedness, paying little attention to his friends shock.

"Iruka told me what your brother did, how he was a real prick and you just stood there and accepted it. You took this Itachi guy away from the room because you were trying to protect me, right?"

Sasuke wasn't sure how to answer that and it seemed Naruto hadn't really expected him too.

"Why, Sasuke? You think I want _anyone_ laying into you? Why do you get to run off and take all the heat to protect me and I don't get an opportunity to protect you?" Blue eyes burned like flames as Naruto grabbed the front of Sasuke's hospital shirt in a tight fist and yanked his friend closer. "You think I would have let him beat you down? You're my family too and _no one_ fucks with us. We protect our own, we fight together, that's _our_ _way_! You'll never have to fight alone while we're here. We love you, ya silly bastard."

It was a hard call to make which of the young men were more shocked when a tear ran from a dark eye and dripped onto the sun kissed arm between them. Both friends froze and stared at each other for a second before Sasuke shoved Naruto away and quickly swiped at his eyes.

Naruto blinked in amazement. "Dude… are you crying?"

"Shut up, moron."

"No, seriously, that was a fucking tear."

"Idiot, you're not supposed to talk about it!" Sasuke snapped in embarrassment and glared defensively. He could feel heat infusing his pale face and attempted to force it away with pure, bull-headed stubbornness.

"Well shit, it's just…" Naruto scratched at the back of his head and looked a little awkward. "It's cool."

"_What_?" The glare darkened.

"Hey, hey, I'm not screwing with you. I just… it's alright, you know. You can show that kind of stuff around me. I'm not gonna judge or nothin'."

There was a long uncomfortable silence as the two friends didn't look at each other, just sat close on the hospital bed while Naruto fidgeted and Sasuke sat stock still.

"You tell anyone…"

"And what? You'll weep all over me?"

"Fuck you."

"Asshole."

"Dead last."

"Jerk off."

The silence resumed and stretched on for a few awkward moments.

"You know I… um, I love you both too, right?" Sasuke whispered almost inaudibly as he stared down at the damp patch on his blankets from the earlier water incident.

Naruto didn't answer, only gently brushed at the tear still glistening on his arm. He didn't have any idea how to answer. Iruka would have been able to handle the situation but Naruto knew he was not so gifted in that area. The mounting tension was too much for him, though, and the blonde finally decided to break it the best way he knew how. With an utter lack of finesse or grace.

"Heh, I always knew you were gay for me."

The nurse on duty down the hall jumped in surprise as loud thumps, crashes, and what sounded like a foreign language echoed down the hall. Rushing to room 216 where the noise was coming from, she was horrified to see the occupants rolling around on the floor, throwing punches, and yelling up a storm.

"Stop that! Stop that this instant! I'll have you both sedated!"

What she failed to see as she rushed in and started pulling at the raven-haired youth's shirt to try to get him off the pinned blonde, was how they were both pulling their punches, avoiding hitting anywhere already bruised, and the laughter hiding in both their eyes.

**...**

"Here we go, boys." Genma grinned happily around his toothpick as he pushed open a door to reveal a comfortably furnished guest room. "I thought old one-eye 'ere was bringing a chick with him so I figured I chuck ya's in the same room. Would offer up another one but ain't got any left! She's gonna be a champion of a piss up."

The room was on the second storey of the house and to reach it had been quite the adventure. Firstly, they had been revisited by the mostly naked women and their oversized water guns. All three of them had received a good spraying and Iruka had once again gotten an eyeful of bouncing flesh and felt extremely awkward. Genma had good naturedly yelled at them to 'get the fuck out the back and stop drowning the joint' while sneaking in a cheeky grope and slapping their bared backsides to shoo them along. Then there had been the people milling all over the place with drinks in hand that they'd had to weave around, many of which wanted to try and catch their host's or Kakashi's attention.

A woman dressed from head to toe in a zebra patterned lycra skin suit was sitting in an armchair surrounded by a group of people fawning over her. Iruka was sure he'd seen her on television before. He didn't watch much TV as there was always something more pressing to do, but he was sure the woman was from the music show Naruto enjoyed on Sunday mornings. Despite it being night time and indoors, she was wearing a massive pair of white framed sunglasses that almost blended in with her heavily bleached hair. She was imperiously demanding various items – fluffy pink pillows, a bottle of Evian, and lavender oil to centre her 'creative chi' – while waving around a large, sparkly pink goblet. If Kakashi hadn't pulled him out of the way, Iruka might have been trampled by the handful of people rushing off to fulfil her request. For the rest of the walk, Kakashi had kept a good hold on his shoulder and steered him through the mayhem.

As bemused by his surroundings as Iruka was, he still noticed that Kakashi didn't try to wrap an arm around him as he might have done before their earlier altercation on the plane. While a part of him missed the affectionate contact, a larger part was relieved. This was what he had planned; they were no longer going to be intimate with each other and Kakashi would easily find someone to spend the night with. The smouldering eyes half the women in the room (and more than a few of the men) were watching him with were testament to that. All the Iruka needed to do was find a corner to relax in and pretend he was invisible for the night. It wouldn't be hard to go unnoticed in such a large crowd of people and he had already resigned himself to likely not getting any sleep.

After they had made it through the crowd of people, it was up a rather beautiful staircase where Iruka's plan showed further evidence of success as a tall, stunningly pretty redhead in incredibly high heels and a black dress that could have been painted on passed them. She reached out boldly and trailed perfectly manicured, crimson nails down the businessman's arm. Kakashi graced her with a tilt of the lips that somehow seemed to hold the promise of rumpled sheets and dark pleasure. The redhead smiled seductively and watched the silver haired man until they disappeared from view.

Iruka watched the scene unfold and cursed the unease that roiled in his stomach. It didn't matter that she only saw the Kakashi as an attractive shell in a perfectly cut suit. Kakashi knew how to deal with these sorts of people and was perfectly capable of handling himself. It had nothing to do with Iruka anymore; he just wished the gorgeous man hadn't kept his large, warm hand on his shoulder the entire time.

Their room was at the end of the corridor and thankfully it was much less crowded upstairs than down. Iruka felt like he'd just taken a trip through the twilight zone and was a bit off balance from it all. The room was surprisingly quiet and likely the one furthest removed from the party zone. There was a small bathroom attached and large bay windows open to the cool evening breeze. He could smell and hear the ocean in the distance and was sure that if he walked over he would see it past the floating netted curtains. Iruka had the distinct impression that this room had been specifically reserved to suit Kakashi's preferences. Genma obviously cared a great deal about his friend's comfort. It was good to see the silver haired man had people like that by his side.

"Your house is very nice," Iruka complimented sincerely. "Thank you for giving us a room to stay in when you have so many guests."

"Hoi now, no need to be gettin' all formal." The Australian laughed and clapped him on the back. "You Japanese are way too strung out. Relax, mate. My joint's your joint and all that shit. If you're thirsty find a drink, hungry then hunt up some tucker, and if you're horny," he winked and clicked his tongue, "there's plenty of fine game floatin' about though I doubt you'll have to with this bloke lookin' after you."

Iruka flushed darkly as Genma flashed Kakashi a knowing grin. The silver haired man didn't even have the grace to look embarrassed. The young teacher had never wanted the earth to open up and swallow him as badly as he did at that moment. Considering what he had been through over the last couple of days that was saying a lot.

"Shouldn't you be off molesting some more of your guests?" Kakashi drawled lazily as he dropped his bag onto the dark blue comforter covering the bed.

With a toothy grin that would have rivalled one of Naruto's, Genma backed out of the room. "Ok, ok, I get the hint. You fellas c'mon down whenever you're ready. Rest of the gang's floating round out back. Don't let him distract you for too long, Iruka."

And to the teacher's mortification he was gifted with a thumbs up before the door clicked shut. Iruka could see it was going to be a long night.

Even though the sounds of the party below drifted up to them, the room felt too quiet without the distracting presence of their host, the atmosphere a little awkward. Iruka turned and dropped his bag right next to the door where he could easily snatch it later if Kakashi decided to bring someone back to the room. Before he even had a chance to turn around there was an annoyed huff right behind him and long, pale fingers took hold of his backpack.

"Stop doing that."

Iruka turned and found Kakashi standing closer than he'd thought, the slate grey eye only inches from his own. Backing up a step unfortunately had him thumping against the closed door.

"Stop doing what?" He asked quickly and stuck his hands into his pockets before he had the chance to start fidgeting.

The older man made no move to touch him but didn't step away either and the close proximity was having its usual affect on Iruka's nerves, making them hum with attraction and wariness. It didn't help that the talented mouth, which had been smiling at the redhead only minutes ago, was now flattened in disapproval.

"Your continuous scheming to try and sneak off to hide in a corner," Kakashi said, his tone clearly saying that Iruka should stop wasting his time trying to hide anything. Why the hell did the man have to be so damn perceptive? "I'm not going to deprive you of a bed for the night. You're my guest too."

"That… I wasn't!" Iruka denied a little too loudly and tried desperately not to cringe at the outright lie. A silver eyebrow lifted and he had to fight the urge to squirm. He'd always been an atrocious liar. "I'm just making sure my bag's out of the way."

"Right next to the door?"

"Well, I, umm…Yes?"

"Mmm, that's convincing." Kakashi smirked as Iruka flushed guiltily. "Or is it that someone downstairs caught your eye and you're thinking of curling up with them tonight so you're preparing a quick get away?" Teasing was obvious in the smooth voice, as if he thought Iruka would never try to find someone else to share a bed with.

For a moment, just a moment, the younger man was damned tempted to prove Kakashi wrong. But then maturity kicked in and he dismissed the idea completely. He wasn't some teenager out to stubbornly prove himself; he was an adult and was not going to be baited like that. Even if the intimacy issues, which Kakashi had so forcefully railroaded through, hadn't impeded him, Iruka wouldn't have done it anyway. It would just make for an even more awkward evening and things were looking crazy enough as it was. That by no means meant he would let Kakashi get away with being an asshole though.

"Who knows," Iruka said flatly and raised an eyebrow in a way that his students would have recognised as a warning sign that they were pushing it, "maybe there's someone down there with a scar fetish willing to get cosy."

He held the taller man's gaze for a moment, dark eyes transmitting just how little he appreciated being teased regarding that topic, before slipping past the larger body. He walked across the room and peered into the bathroom, noted that it had all the essentials, and decided to make use of the shower. Even if he hadn't been hit by the water attack downstairs and needed to change, Iruka still would have wanted to freshen up, the scent of the hospital was lingering. However, Iruka was sure that Kakashi would also want to bathe and don something more casual than his business suit before meeting up with his friends. It would be impolite to make the older man wait.

"Are you going to shower?" he asked, turning to find Kakashi watching him silently and his backpack sitting on the bed next to the other man's luggage. The grey eye was guarded, calculating, and Iruka had to suppress the tremble that wanted to trickle down his spine.

"Yes, but you can go first."

"No, that's alright. You go ahead, I don't want to keep you from your friends and I need a little extra time to recover from the adventure downstairs." Iruka gave a small, disarming smile as he rubbed at the scar crossing his face. "I'm happy to just stop for a moment."

The expression on the handsome face softened in understanding and Iruka was once again struck by just how kind the powerful man could look. "Alright. I won't be long."

Silence was their companion as Kakashi retrieved what he needed from his bag and Iruka stood by the window, keeping out of the way. It wasn't until the pale man was in the bathroom with shower running that Iruka realised that not one innuendo about sharing the shower had been made. To his self-depreciating amusement, he realised he was a little disappointed about that. Slapping himself in the forehead for being such an idiot, Iruka let out a long sigh, slumped against the wall next to the windows, and slid to the floor.

What a day! What a crazy, hectic, rollercoaster, mind-fuck of a day.

Since that morning he had woken up in pain, trusted Kakashi enough to roll over and expose his back for a massage, been privileged to hear some stories from the older man's past that had softened his opinion of him further, shared a bath, performed fellatio on another person for the first time in his life, been manipulated while getting jerked off, argued, felt threatened and frightened, felt sick, misled his little brother, met Sasuke's older brother, argued with Itachi twice, been forcefully kissed, argued with Kakashi again, been sneered at by an air hostess, argued with Kakashi yet again, fucking _cried_, kind of made up with Kakashi, almost got trampled by an over excited herd of people, seen mostly naked women running around, and been attacked by them with water pistols. And that was only the goddamn summary! It didn't include any of the anger, embarrassment, fear, confusion, and a million other fucking emotions he'd gone through that day and the night was still young.

Iruka thumped his head against the wall and closed his eyes. He felt drained down to his very bones. No one should have to go through all that crap. No one! It just wasn't right. While he wasn't normally one to give into self-pity, Iruka felt he was more than justified in indulging himself for just a little while. Honestly, what had he done to deserve getting messed around like this? How much of a bastard had he been in a previous life for karma to be slapping him this hard? Or maybe it was because life had been good for a while so the universe decided that the only way to balance it out was to flip upside down and shit all over him.

"Fucking universe," he muttered to the room and glared up at the ceiling as if everything that had happened was its fault.

Damn, he really missed the guys. The night wouldn't look half so daunting if Kotetsu and Izumo were here with him. The two of them would have run around like mad trying to flirt with every girl in sight and having a competition to see who could come up with the worst pick up lines. Raidou would have found them all somewhere comfortable to sit and Naruto would be bounding about trying to meet everybody at the same time. At the end of the night they would all inevitably end up lazing around in their little group drinking and laughing away the hours. It didn't matter that they all lived and worked together; there was always something to chat about, reminisce on, or make plans for.

A weight landed heavy in his chest and he closed his eyes again with a soft sigh. He missed his family. Even though he'd been lonely over the past few months with Naruto and Sasuke gone from the house he hadn't actually been alone. There was work and people still coming to visit. The orphaned children he looked after and loved as best he could. He knew they'd be just fine with the others watching over them but it didn't stop him from worrying about who was preparing the lunches. The other guys really were quite terrible in the kitchen except for Ebisu, but he looked after dinner. The kids had spent enough time with him in the kitchen learning how to cook that they knew what they were doing. A small smile tilted his lips at the mental image of the students bossing their sensei around like mini master chefs. The smile fell away only seconds later. No, he'd been lonely back home but this was the first time he'd actually been alone. It was scary.

The sound of water falling in the shower ceased, drawing Iruka from his thoughts. Rising to his feet, the young man pushed back the netted curtain and looked out into the darkness. He had only a few minutes to school his features, if he showed any sign of weakness Kakashi would read it like a book. He couldn't handle another altercation; it would just be too much. The only thing that had saved him from snapping during the day was the quiet hours he'd spent with the two boys in the hospital while they slept and he had a chance to rest. Their deep breathing (and occasional snoring from Naruto) had been a balm on his frayed nerves. It reassured him that they were just fine, not a hundred percent healthy but not in any danger and that he hadn't lost them. They were still by his side, together, and resting peacefully. If not for those few hours, he would likely be dead on his feet.

"Are you alright?"

The gently voiced question startled Iruka and he couldn't hide the flinch. Damn the man for being so silent, he hadn't even heard the door open. Quickly, the teacher schooled his features into an expression he hoped would be calm and turned around. Iruka felt the air halt in his lungs as his eyes widened at Kakashi's appearance.

_Oh hell._

Dark navy jeans, tailored to perfection, hugged lean hips and showcased the impossibly long legs with devastating definition. A white button up shirt was subtly striped with simmering thread, the sleeves rolled up to elbows and collar open at the throat to give a peek at a smooth clavicle. It only served to emphasise how pale and flawless the man's skin was, how broad those shoulders were. While another person may have looked washed out, Kakashi could have been carved from ivory.

The usual black silk wrap hid the crimson eye and the normally gravity defying hair had somehow been partially tamed. Still damp from the shower, it hung forward to further hide the scarred eye and emphasise the slate grey of the orb still visible. No shoes covered the long boned feet yet and it just gave the impression that Kakashi was more inclined to take his clothes off than keep them on. Scalding hot desire pooled low in Iruka's abdomen as he openly stared at the striking, larger male unblinkingly.

One of the pale arms rose so that long, elegant fingers could take hold of the top of the doorframe, causing the powerful forearm muscles to stand out clearly. The open hem of the shirt parted further to display a wide, black leather belt and silver clasp engraved with a stylised spiralling leaf. Memories of the physique hidden below the flattering clothing flashed through the stunned brunette's mind and he felt his underwear become more constricting than it should be. Warmth crept up the cinnamon neck and infused the Iruka's face with a light flush. Gods, but the Kakashi truly was beautiful in Iruka's eyes.

"You haven't answered my question, sensei."

The rich, smooth voice was low and seductive, flowing over his senses like a caress. The air finally left Iruka's lungs in a shaky sigh and a pink tongue snuck out to wet dry lips.

"W-what question?" he asked absently as the tall man let go of the doorframe and leisurely stalked toward him on silent feet.

All movement from the large male was slow yet still managed to be as fluid as water. The single grey eye was no longer shuttered; it positively _burned_.

_Predator,_ a small, nervous voice whispered within Iruka's mind.

"I asked," the older man murmured deeply, "if you are alright."

A pale hand reached out and lightly slid warm fingers along the curve of Iruka's jaw from chin to ear, igniting all the nerve endings, making his skin hum and break out into goose bumps. The contact of those gentle fingertips snapped Iruka out of whatever spell Kakashi had managed to weave around them. His dark brows dipped as he realised just what was happening and the situation he was now in. Somehow, the extraordinary man had once more managed to catch Iruka up in his energy and make him forget all about his self-made promises. Shit! Double shit!

The smaller male jerked away from the warm fingertips and put some distance between them. Blushing darkly with embarrassment, Iruka mentally cursed his own weakness and naivety. How could he have allowed this to happen again? Damn it, he knew how easily the gorgeous male could seduce people, he'd done it to the redhead on the stairs with one look! How stupid Iruka felt that he had been drawn in by the charismatic entity that was Hatake Kakashi yet again. He should know better. He did know better!

Dropping his gaze, the orphanage sensei rubbed roughly at the spot just below his ear where Kakashi's caress still tingled on his skin. "I'm fine. Just… I'm fine. Need a shower, excuse me."

With that, he quickly strode over to the bed and grabbed his bag, knowing full well that his actions would be screaming his internal conflict at the perceptive businessman. However, as he headed for the bathroom Kakashi made no move to stop him.

"Did you need anything else from in here?" Iruka forced himself to ask before closing the door.

"No."

"Ok, I'll find you down stairs when I'm done."

"I'll wait for you."

"No," the younger man protested a little too quickly as he forced himself to lock eyes with Kakashi again. The older man was once more guarded but small lines of annoyance were showing around his mouth. "Please go down and see your friends. I don't want to delay you any longer and I'm sure it won't be hard to find you." He needed to break the mood in the room and forced a grin, sure that it looked as nervous as he felt. "I'll just follow the trail of bloody noses and flaming underwear."

A surprised bark of laughter rewarded his attempt to break the tension and Iruka saw some of the stiffness ease from the businessman's broad shoulders. With his grin turned cheeky, the teacher didn't give the chance for protests and closed the bathroom door. He carried his bag to the vanity unit and made a show of cluttering around, all the while holding his breath and listening out for any sound coming from the adjoining room. Finally, the click of the bedroom door closing reached his ears and the nervous teacher leaned heavily on the basin with a long sigh of relief. Gods, his nerves were frayed.

Alone at last, Iruka took a moment to gather his wits and some semblance of self-control. Reluctantly, he raised his eyes to stare into the identical set reflected in a large mirror. He definitely looked as unbalanced as he felt.

"Shit," he swore angrily. "Get your act together, Umino."

**...**

As Kakashi strode down the stairs, heads turned and watched his descent with avid interest. Men and women alike could sense something different about the tall, silver haired man. Something special. It was in the way he moved; relaxed but controlled, elegant and yet somehow understated. An aura of command and strength radiated from the pale figure, as if his existence alone was noteworthy. No one knew the charismatic man's name, but every person in the room knew – with the instinct of those trying desperately to climb the social ladder – that he was someone they should get to know. The fact that they couldn't put a name to him just made him all the more intriguing.

Kakashi was fully aware of the attention focused on him; it was blatantly obvious as the noise in the room dropped just enough to be noticeable when he had appeared. It was like something out of a bad teenage movie and irritated him no end. He had no interest in these social crows eyeing him like he was a shiny knickknack to be snatched up and used to decorate the nest. Walking unhurriedly through the house, he automatically gathered and stored information on the location of rooms and exit points. The business tycoon didn't bother to take any further note of the people he passed other than to file them into the categories he needed to know. Of the categories they were grouped into, none fell under 'acquaintance', 'useful', or 'potential threat' so all were dismissed. He might have taken more note of those that had fallen into the parameters of 'bed partner' if that part of his mind wasn't already occupied with thoughts of a certain skinny schoolteacher upstairs.

Iruka had wanted him. Wanted him badly. The scorching lust in the sensei's eyes had been as obvious as the flush on scarred cheeks and the small tremble in his hands. It had surprised Kakashi when those gentle eyes had locked onto him and darkened so rapidly they'd turned almost black. After their fights throughout the day and the multiple screw-ups he'd made in handling the damaged man, Kakashi hadn't expected Iruka to still desire him so strongly. Of course, the teacher would still desire him somewhat, but to that extent was unexpected. It had made the silver haired man feel incredibly heady. To walk over slowly and give a light, tentative touch had been more strain on his self-control than he wanted to admit.

It would have been so damn easy to just grab the teacher, fling him onto the bed, and replace all his confused trepidations with passion filled cried. It was almost scary how simple it was to seduce the smaller male, just a few well-placed caresses and low whispered endearments. Hell, he managed to do it with a kiss alone! Granted, he knew he was skilled and Iruka completely inexperienced, but the ease with which the hot little teacher surrendered to pleasure was almost unprecedented. As he thought about this, Kakashi added a new category to his repertoire for the night: 'potential seducers'. There were far too many there for Kakashi's comfort. His grey eye narrowed in annoyance at that realisation and a pretty blonde who had just picked up the courage to approach him paled and abruptly changed direction.

As he stepped through the open French doors leading to the backyard, Kakashi scanned the crowd and smiled as a familiar figure came running over with a loud, excited squeal.

"Kakashiiii!" He caught the voluptuous female as she launched through the air and engulfed him in a tight hug, laughing happily at the enthusiastic greeting. "You useless dick, you're late again."

"Anko, you look gorgeous. I almost didn't recognise you with clothes on," he quipped and was punched in the shoulder even as she planted a kiss on his cheek.

"Shut the fuck up. I got the goods and I'll show them!" the short Chinese woman declared as they disentangled and grinned at each other. She did look rather fetching in a short, black silk dress shot through with dancing scarlet dragons. The style could have been considered mandarin if it hadn't been so low cut that her breasts were at risk of falling out. "It's so good to see you. It's been far too long since we all caught up. Thank god Genma threw this party, I thought I was going to have to start another war before we'd all be together again."

Kakashi wrapped his arm around her shoulders and threw a cocky grin at a couple of men eyeing Anko with obvious interest. They started walking over to where Genma was waving at them from the outdoor bar. "Heaven forbid. None of us want to do that again."

"I know, but that stint in the Philippines was damn entertaining. Even you have to admit that, _captain_," Anko teased.

"Watch your tongue, _lieutenant_, or do I have to find another nice Tibetan monk to watch it for you?" He leered evilly as the normally brazen woman flushed a deep red under her foundation. Kakashi knew it was more from good memories than embarrassment.

"Yeah, well, he claimed he found enlightenment through my heavenly passage."

Both of them were laughing heartily as they reached the rest of the group.

"Took your sweet time." Genma grinned as they approached and Asuma stepped forward to catch Kakashi up in a bear hug. "Thought I was gonna have to send smoky here up to drag y'down."

"It's good to see you again," Asuma said around his unlit cigarette as they parted and clasped each other's shoulders.

"What's going on here?" Kakashi smiled as he rubbed at his own chin to indicate Asuma's whiskers.

"Grew himself a soup catcher. Starting to get a gut on him too. All domesticated and going to seed." Genma laughed and ducked a playful swipe from the bearded man as a dark haired lady came forward to greet Kakashi.

Kureni chuckled as she took Kakashi's offered hands, "I've been trying to get him to shave it off for months, but he says he'll only give up one thing at a time and the cigarettes have to go."

"Kurenai," Kakashi greeted with genuine warmth and leaned down to kiss her on both cheeks, "you're looking absolutely wonderful. How far along are you now?"

"Almost eight months." She smiled and ran her hand over her protruding stomach. "And I can't believe there's more than a month left. I don't think I can get any bigger. I feel like a hippo with fluid retention."

"Well, you're glowing. You look beautiful. Congratulations again to you both."

Kurenai's smile grew as Asuma wrapped a loving arm around his wife.

"Wanna stubby?" Genma asked as he was already popping the top off of an iced bottle. "Got some flown over from home. Fuckin' joy, mate, not like the piss these yanks drink and actually reckons beer."

"Thanks." Kakashi accepted the bottle and took a mouthful. Australian beer was not to be passed up and Genma only got the best. "Damn, that's good."

"Yup, she's a nice drop. Munster'll be down in a tick; he rocked up before you earlier this arvo but was jetlagged to fuck and needed a kip. Anko went up and bounced on him a few minutes ago," the Australian said as he leaned on the bar.

"You shouldn't call him that," Kurenai admonished as Anko swiped Genma's beer and took a sneaky gulp even though she had her own martini. "You know it hurts his feelings."

"He never says it to his face," Anko laughed as Genma snatched his drink back, "because you're a wass."

"It's wuss, y'silly twit, and I know where to pick my fights. Fuckin' with an angry Russian ain't one of them."

Asuma and Kakashi stood quietly by enjoying their drinks and watching their friends happily bicker. The silver haired man had almost forgotten how soothing it was to be with his old team. They'd been through thick and thin together, life and death. To all be healthy, happy, and enjoying a drink together was a blessing he never tired of. To him, these people were more precious than his entire financial empire, which was why he'd taken them all into his employ. He made sure they were paid exorbitant amounts of money for doing what they loved best. It was his way of looking after his precious people and to be able to stand back and watch them blossom was all he needed to keep him going most days. In the army, he had been their leader and the habit had never quite left them. None of them really wanted it to.

"Genma mentioned you were bringing someone," Asuma said as Genma and Anko leapt forward to put their hands on Kurenai's belly when the baby moved.

Kakashi hummed his affirmative and took another sip of his drink. "He's taking a shower."

Asuma raised an eyebrow. "He? What happened to that last woman? The one with legs up to her ears and that killer set of knoc- _oomph_."

"Don't talk about other women when your wife is carrying your child, dear," Kurenai spoke with fond dignity as she removed her elbow from her husband's stomach.

"Yeah, you insensitive tossa," Genma piped up and wrapped an arm around the pregnant woman's shoulders, toothpick wiggling between his lips. "How cruel. Leave him, gorgeous, and come to me instead."

Asuma looked both chastised and annoyed. "I'm going to have to hurt you, Genma."

"You know he'd just enjoy it," Kakashi said as Anko stole Genma's drink again.

"True," the Australian sighed, "nothing gets me as worked up as- Oooh! People getting naked in my pool. Excuse me."

With that, he grabbed Anko's martini and wandered off to where three women were giggling and removing their clothing.

"Never changes, does he?" Anko huffed with a roll of her eyes.

"Would we want him to?" Asuma asked.

Kurenai, Anko, and Kakashi all answered simultaneously – the women forceful and Kakashi bored – with a resounding "Yes." before they were laughing together again. It was good to be back amongst friends.

**...**

"Goddamn, fucking bastard, asshole, son of a bitch," Iruka hissed angrily as he looked at himself in the mirror.

Everything had been going just fine until he'd gone to pull his hair back into its customary binding. Then the teacher had realised that the hickey Kakashi had given him was standing out proudly for all the world to see. He didn't have any collared shirts left to hide it with and the green one he'd been wearing that day was a bit too smelly to put on again. So, he was stuck with three choices; a white t-shirt with the neckline starting to fray that he was going to sleep in that night, the pale blue t-shirt he'd packed for the next day, or the black v-neck with three-quarter length sleeves he'd already donned. All of them showed off the glaringly obvious mark.

"Shit."

It seemed that word was becoming his mantra for the night. With a frustrated sigh, he pulled the band from his hair and watched as the thick mahogany locks fell to hide the bruise. He hadn't wanted to wear his hair down but it looked like he didn't have a choice. It was still a bit too warm out for his hooded jacket and he didn't like the idea of being hot and uncomfortable for the sake of hiding the hickey. His jacket was also old and worn, it would stand out against the stylishly attired guests already milling downstairs. The only alternative was leaving his hair loose and putting up with the stray strands that would try to poke him in the eyes all night.

Stepping back from the mirror, Iruka surveyed his appearance. The dark grey cargo pants were new enough, the bottom of the legs were frayed from rubbing under his shoes but otherwise in decent condition. They sat comfortably on his hips without needing a belt and that was a huge bonus in his book as he found belts very uncomfortable. There was nothing he could do about the old sneakers because they were the only shoes he had with him. They were comfortable and that's all he really cared about anyway. Over all, Iruka figured he'd pass enough to go unnoticed and that suited his plans just fine.

Iruka stuffed his belongings back into his bag and made sure the bathroom was left in the same clean condition it had been in when he entered. The room was fully equipped with everything one might need, there were even spare toiletries in the cupboard. It showed their host's consideration for his guests' comfort and Iruka respected the effort. There was nothing else he could really do to excuse his dawdling but took a seat on the bed for a minute to gather his thoughts and mentally prepare for the night. Not for the first time, Iruka wondered if he would really be missed if he just chose to hide in the room all night. Kakashi would be distracted by his friends and likely wouldn't notice his absence and no one else knew him to come looking. Perhaps he could just stay put and…

_No, _the teacher mentally sighed.

He knew he was expected downstairs and it would be rude, not to mention cowardly, to hide away in the room. It was also another opportunity to experience something he normally would never have the chance to. Parties of this magnitude didn't occur in his world and as daunted as he was by the idea of it, he really did want to have a look around. He'd always enjoyed crowd watching and Iruka had the feeling that he'd see some pretty interesting things that night. Curiosity was a curse and Iruka had enough of it to kill at least a dozen cats.

The main thing he was curious about was what Kakashi's friends were like. Genma was nothing like he had been expecting! The Australian was so open and friendly, no sign what so ever of the cold, standoffish attitude that Kakashi, Sasuke, and Itachi had all demonstrated. It was both surprising and incredibly welcome. If Kakashi's other friends were like Genma, Iruka had no doubts he could get along with them just fine. But, if Genma was the odd one out of the bunch, Iruka would just greet the others politely and find somewhere to hide and observe the night's proceedings. Either way, he'd delayed his appearance long enough.

Sliding to his feet, Iruka ran his hand through his hair in one last attempt to get it out of his eyes. It failed, not that he'd thought it would work anyway. Just before he left the room, Iruka snatched up his bag and dropped it by the door again with a defiant grin. Plan in action!

The sounds of the party were much louder in the corridor and the teacher briefly wondered if the room was partially soundproofed. As he trotted down the stairs, he noticed a few people glancing his way but most ignored him. Good, just as he wanted. Kakashi was nowhere in sight but then Iruka hadn't expected him to be, they had agreed to meet in the back yard. All houses had a logical layout to them, Iruka could see the front door so he figured if he moved in the opposite direction he would eventually find the back exit.

Most of the people he was passing were very attractive. Tall, long limbed, and willowy, dressed in exquisite fashion and beautifully groomed. They chatted, flirted, and laughed while looking like they'd just stepped out of a spread in a glossy magazine. Iruka felt short and incredibly plain in comparison. When someone took notice of him, they would look over his clothes in mild confusion before locking eyes on the scar crossing his face. Pride and a deep sense of who he was kept the teacher's head up when his instincts were to drop it and retreat behind his long hair. He had nothing to hide, the scar was his mother's last protection over him and he would never be ashamed of it. It literally showed her dying love.

Mixed into the crowd, there were some flamboyant characters like the woman in the zebra lycra and her entourage. Her voice was raised to a shrill whine as she ranted about how none of her followers knew the name of a certain person at the party. Frowning at the woman's selfish behaviour, the young teacher strode by without sparing her another glance. People like that just annoyed him no end. They had so much – money, connections, and people pandering to their every whim – and took it all for granted, while the children he cared for had nothing yet still demonstrated more consideration for their fellow man.

One of the lessons he and his friends drilled into the orphans was that no matter what has been taken from you, you can always be a strong and decent human being. Love doesn't come with money and power; it comes freely from people who truly appreciate you for who you are and not where you come from. Iruka's brow furrowed in thought. One of the reasons he respected Kakashi was because the powerful and wealthy businessman didn't judge another's worth by their appearance and material wealth. Granted, he still tried to take control over every single situation and expected to be obeyed without complaint, he was manipulative as hell, _and_ he had given Iruka a goddamn hickey! And he had that annoying knack of… where had he originally been going with this thought again?

"Hey you." A voice pulled Iruka from his musings as fingers wrapped around his upper arm.

Iruka blinked in surprise as he turned to discover the redhead from earlier on the stairs. Up close, she was even prettier than he had originally given her credit for. Fair skin, long lashes, high cheekbones, and pouty lips combined with a fantastic figure. She stood slightly taller than him in her heels and her chin was tipped up arrogantly. The well-manicured nails, which had run down Kakashi's arm in open invitation, stood out in vivid red against the black cotton of his top. The grip on his bicep was surprisingly strong and the light eyes watching him were icy blue, nothing at all like Naruto's warm, summer skies shade. She had plenty of physical beauty, but Iruka had the feeling that the old adage of it only running skin deep was most appropriate in this case.

"Good evening." Iruka said politely as he pointedly removed his arm from her grip. He didn't ask what she wanted, she would tell him soon enough. If working with children had taught him one thing, it was how to deal with self-centred people. Obviously, the redhead wasn't interested in wasting time and cut immediately to the point.

"The man you were with earlier, tell me his name," she demanded in a tone that clearly showed she didn't expect him to refuse.

While previously Iruka may have been thrown enough by her appearance and imperious attitude to have answered her without thinking, this was no longer the case. Unfortunately for her, the young teacher had been dealing with Kakashi for the last few days and had built up quite the immunity to intimidation through beauty. He knew it was Kakashi's name she was chasing and considered giving it to her. She was rather pretty and the silver haired male had shown an interest in her earlier.

At the thought of Kakashi being with someone else, let alone someone with such cold eyes, Iruka's stomach clenched sickeningly. He immediately squashed the reaction and reminded himself of the plan; giving this woman Kakashi's name would be a step towards accomplishing his goals. But, a memory from the plane ride between New York and San Francisco surfaced in the brunette's mind. It was the hesitation that Kakashi had shown when Iruka had asked for his family name, the relief the older man had experienced when the younger hadn't recognise it. Iruka came to a decision.

"Genma," he answered in an admonishing tone while he snickered internally. "If you're attending a party you really should know the name of your host."

The woman looked momentarily taken aback by his answer, as if she wasn't sure if he was being deliberately obtuse or was just that stupid. Apparently she decided it was the latter.

"Not him," she huffed as if Iruka were an idiot, "the other one. Tall, silver hair, had his hand on your shoulder."

The teacher just looked at her blankly for a moment before shrugging. "You're going to have to ask him."

"What? He was leading your around and you don't even know his name?"

"I do," Iruka answered almost tonelessly before his eyes hardened, "but that doesn't mean I'm free to give it to others. If you want to know, go ask him. Now, please excuse me."

Knowing he couldn't be any clearer in his rejection, Iruka turned to walk away when the long fingernails were pressed to his chest and the woman sidled up to him with a persuasive smile. His internal warning bell that seemed to have broken with Kakashi (or just rung itself into exhaustion) started clanging away loudly. He backed away from her in surprise at her change in tactics and she followed him, smiling all the while, until the back of his legs collided with a chair and he almost fell over. With a clumsy grab at the furniture, he managed to save himself from toppling into the lap of a handsome man who looked as surprised as Iruka felt. He really needed to stop getting trapped against things. It hadn't been a problem before he'd met Kakashi!

"Tell me his name and what you know about him and I'll give you something in return," she practically purred into his ear as fingertips ran over his chest and down his stomach suggestively. "Something you'll _really_ like."

Iruka froze for a moment in astonishment even as he felt blood heating his cheeks with both anger and humiliation. What bullshit was this? Things like this didn't happen in the real world!

_Enough!_ he snarled internally, firmly taking hold of her wandering hand and removed it from his body. _I have had more than enough of people treating me like a fucking puppet!_

The glare he directed at the redhead had the smile falling from her glossed lips and her ridiculously high heels taking a nervous step backwards.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Iruka demanded harshly before realising from her confused expression that in his anger he'd spoken in Japanese. Quickly, he collected his thoughts and switched back to English. "I don't know what d-grade, soap opera universe you live in, lady, but where I'm from if you want to know a person's name you _ask them_. You don't go up to a random stranger, demand information, and offer 'favours' in exchange."

The woman was stunned speechless, as were the five people seated near by who were watching the exchange after Iruka had stumbled against the chair and interrupted their conversation.

"Good night," he spoke with ringing finality. Throwing one last icy glare in the redhead's direction, he brushed past her, slipped his hands into his pockets, and walked off unhurriedly. Despite his seemingly controlled exterior, internally Iruka was fuming and swearing up a mental storm.

"Shit," he muttered under his breath. He just couldn't fathom what was wrong with these idiots.

Taking very little note of the mansion's interior and people he passed, Iruka finally spotted the back door. Well, it was more a wall of glass with a large double opening where many glittering socialites were coming and going. Iruka hoped Kakashi wouldn't be too hard to spot amongst the crowd outside. Somehow, he doubted it would be a problem. The wealthy businessman stood out wherever he was.

Stepping onto the terrace, the confrontation with the redhead was forgotten at the sight that greeted him. He walked to a clear spot of the wooden railing, out of the way of the traffic flow, to take it all in.

It was like something from the silver screen. Couches and low tables were spread along the wide, wooden porch for guests to utilise. Down the three long steps to the yard was an open paved area where people chatted in groups and waiters weaved between them carrying trays of drinks. To the right was a raised platform where a DJ controlled the pumping music surrounded by speakers. Off to the side of that, a long bar had been set up and many people were leaning against it watching those moving to the beat in an informal dance area. At the back of the pavers was a large, oblong swimming pool illuminated blue in the night, its users either playing drunkenly or posing at its edges for attention. Iruka wasn't even surprised anymore when he saw that more than a few of them were naked.

Unsurprisingly, the thing that caught the majority of Iruka's attention was the large table to the left. It was laden with lavish cocktail food. Iced fruits, cold cut meats, cheese selections, Mediterranean mixes, extravagant dips, and sumptuous seafood were just some of the treats on offer. The table's edges were tastefully decorated with fresh cut daylilies, and the whole shebang attended to by caterers dressed in crisp black and white. The poor teacher was unabashedly salivating over the feast even as he tried to calculate how much it must have cost. He shuddered to think of the number of meals he could have provided for the students and his friends back home with that kind of money.

"I should have known you'd be mesmerised by the food," came a deep chuckle from behind him as large hands slid over his shoulders.

Even surrounded by so many people, Iruka felt Kakashi's presence wrap around him like a cacoon. He unconsciously leaned into the body behind him, taking comfort in the sense of protection no matter how much of an illusion it really was. At least he was less likely to be accosted by bizarre women at Kakashi's side.

A silver eyebrow rose in surprise as the thin frame beneath his hands slumped slightly and moved to lightly rest against his chest. When he had left Iruka upstairs, it had been obvious that the young man was avidly avoiding physical contact with him, but for some reason now sought it willingly. The eyebrow came down as Kakashi's eye hardened and narrowed. What had occurred between then and now to change the teacher's behaviour so much?

"Iruka," the gentle tone was back in his voice again without thought, a dramatic contrast to the steel grey eye, "what happened?"

With a sigh, Iruka turned to face him, forcing Kakashi to release his shoulders and soften his expression. "Nothing much, just some woman being an idiot. I sorted it out so forget it." A small hand waved through the air as if to dispel any worries. "You snuck up on me again."

"You didn't jump this time," Kakashi noted with an amused smile, letting the younger man get away with the change of subject. He could always press for more details later if it became necessary.

Full lips lifted in a small but genuine smile. "Maybe I'm starting to build up immunity to you and your antics. You can only shock me so many times in a day, you know."

Iruka watched as the single eye curved into its unique arc and the talented lips quirked. "Maa, I don't know about that. I think I might still have one or two cards up my sleeve."

With an inelegant snort of amusement, Iruka ran his hand through his hair to try to get it out of his eyes again. Which reminded him!

"You," he jabbed a finger into Kakashi's chest and glared up at the taller man, "are going to get an arse kicking from me later."

"Oh?" The accursed and still very attractive smile didn't even falter, if anything it grew. "What did I do?"

"The goddamn hickey again," Iruka hissed in a low tone so the people near by wouldn't hear. Even though he doubted any of them spoke Japanese one could never be too careful. "I've had to leave my hair down to hide it because it's showing above my collar."

"And I think that's a wonderful thing. I like your hair, it smells fantastic." The older man's smile turned slightly devious. "Then again, I wouldn't have minded if you tied it up and showed the mark off."

"Like a stamp of ownership," the teacher deadpanned and cocked an eyebrow.

"Well, you gave me one too. Remember? Last night," the smooth voice deepened and small thrills travelled down Iruka's spine.

He remembered everything about the night before and that morning as well, which was why he needed to put a stop to the conversation before it became any more intimate. Getting intimate with Kakashi again wasn't part of the plan and sure as hell wasn't a smart idea. He couldn't afford to get caught up in the gorgeous man's charisma again. With that in mind, he gave another jab to the broad chest.

"At least you can hide yours. Now, where're your friends?" he asked, sticking his hand in his pocket to resist the urge to poke the damnably handsome man one more time.

"This way." Pressure from a guiding hand settled on his back and Iruka automatically flinched away.

The hand was immediately removed and for a moment both men paused and studied the other, the younger looking deeply unsettled and the older assessing with eye narrowed. Both knew full well that earlier in the day Iruka had been trusting enough to completely expose himself and lie defenceless while Kakashi touched freely. The fact that the teacher was now shying away from the contact served as a reminder for them both of just how far their relationship had taken a step backward.

Disappointment and frustration swirled in the young teacher's chest. Kakashi had been the first outside of his close-knit group, his family, which he had tried trusting. Had their lives been different, perhaps they could have shared a friendship that would have benefited them both, but as they were, friendship just wouldn't be possible. Even should they be able to get past Kakashi's excessive need to control and Iruka's fierce independence, there was just too much raw attraction between them. The grey eye was fixed on him with a calculating stare and he knew that it had just read every emotion to pass through his dark eyes. He knew that Kakashi would be well aware of how he felt and the knowledge both unnerved him and further attracted him to the elite businessman.

"Enough," Iruka sighed and gave Kakashi an almost brotherly thump on the shoulder; knowing that his weak grin wasn't fooling anyone. "With so many rich people around there's bound to be more than enough drama and teenage angst before the night is through without us adding to it. Now, let's go find your friends and a cold drink. Lead the way."

Kakashi eyed the smaller man for a moment longer before suppressing his instinct to keep Iruka within clear sight and turning to guide the way to where his friends were sitting. Even when surrounded by so many people, he had no problem keeping tabs on the smaller form trailing behind him. He couldn't see Iruka, hear him, smell him, or feel the heat coming from the slight figure; Kakashi just knew he was there. It was like when the teacher had emerged from the house only a few short minutes ago. Before his appearance, the silver haired man had been paying very little attention to the party surrounding him. He automatically kept track of where the people nearest to him were, blatantly ignoring anyone trying to garner his attention, but otherwise paid no heed to the general crowd.

When Iruka had stepped out Kakashi had known it instantly. There had been no change in the noise level or the movement of people around them but Kakashi had felt _something_ shift. It was like a presence, an energy, he'd been subconsciously waiting for had brushed softly against his senses and without thought his eyes had found Iruka. And what a sight the man was.

It was like seeing an alley cat moving through a sea of butterflies. The people surrounding the penniless teacher glittered with their designer attire, painted faces, and carefully styled hair. They fluttered about noisily showing themselves off, oblivious to the contrastingly silent figure that crept amongst them.

Dressed in clothes you would find on any street, quiet, demure, and completely unaware of his appeal; Iruka had stood out. The garments he wore were simplistic in cut and material but teasingly alluded to the tight little body hidden beneath. Long, silky hair hung in a soft curtain that shone like polished dark wood under the party lights. The rich strands were appealingly mussed; looking like someone had just run their hands through them. Intelligent dark eyes swept the party in astonishment but Kakashi knew that everything they saw had been categorically filed away in the teacher's mind. It had been almost dizzying to observe the storm of emotion that passed over the attractive face when Iruka sighted the buffet table.

The gentle eyes had widened even as smooth eyebrows dipped in a frown and the scarred nose crinkled slightly. The full bottom lip had been licked before a large swallow rippled through the slender neck, bobbing the small Adam's apple. Iruka had looked starved, shocked, longing, and far older than his short 24 years. Kakashi honestly didn't think he would ever forget the look in the expressive brown eyes. It was the look of a poor man who had seen the lavish wastefulness of the rich and while it saddened him, he did not judge them for it. In that moment, Iruka had been breathtakingly beautiful.

It was evident, as they walked through the flittering butterflies, that Kakashi hadn't been the only one to think so. The older man was always aware of the stares directed toward him but he had also become alerted to a couple directed at the teacher in his wake. Annoyance flared quick and bright as Kakashi reached back and took hold of Iruka's shoulder again, drawing the shorter man to his side as he sent warning looks at two men. He didn't recognise either of them but they were old enough to be past the stage where brainless, glittery bodies held lasting interest for them. Both men acknowledged Kakashi's warning, one of them nodding and turning away to indicate he recognised the silver haired man's possession over the cute brunette. The other man simply challenged back with a steady gaze of his own before making an obvious show of sliding his eyes over the teacher slowly.

Kakashi's eye narrowed further. He may not have known the man's name, but he would by the end of the night.

Iruka wasn't sure what was going on, but the look on Kakashi's gorgeous features was chilling. It wasn't even directed toward him and he had still felt the blood run cold in his veins. Just when Iruka would start to forget what a dangerous man Kakashi was something would happen to remind him again. It was as if the universe kept slapping him in the face with warnings because he was too stupid to remember it the first time. Considering Kakashi had so forcefully drawn him close just after their awkward moment something must have been seriously wrong. It wasn't like the guarded man to show such a strong reaction.

Turning his eyes in the direction of his companion's glare, Iruka spotted a man in his early thirties watching him intently. The man himself wasn't unattractive by any means, light brown hair, pale eyes (Iruka couldn't determine the precise colour from that distance), and a strong bearing. His features were aristocratic and certainly handsome but the teacher couldn't help but feel that compared to Kakashi it was like a glowworm attempting to outshine the moon. For all the observation of the man's physical appearance, what really caught the teacher's attention was the look in those pale eyes.

Iruka was quite taken aback by the open invitation and flirtation directed at him. Kakashi was the only person who had ever looked at him like that. To say it was unexpected to suddenly be on the receiving end of that gaze from another stranger was rather a spectacular understatement.

_Does he want me or does he want to get under Kakashi's skin_, the young sensei wondered as his chin dipped and eyes narrowed in assessment.

At his change in expression, the pale-eyed man smiled enticingly and flicked his gaze back to Kakashi as if to check his reaction.

_Yep, he's fucking with Kakashi_, Iruka decided and turned to check on the silver haired man. The slate grey eye was as sharp as honed steel and speculative even as the rest of the pale features were expressionless. Gods, how Iruka hated that utter lack of anything. Someone as brilliant and full of character as Kakashi should never look like that.

"Don't do that," he said without thinking and covered the large pale hand on his shoulder with his smaller, darker one. The grey eye flicked down to him and some of the hardness receded. "Who is he?"

There was a pause before Kakashi answered. "I don't know yet."

"So he's not a rival of yours or something?"

A tiny quirk of the thin lips and shift of emotion in the single eye somehow managed to convey both amusement and competitiveness. The speculation was still there and Iruka knew that didn't bode well for its target. "I suppose he is in a manner of speaking."

A silky eyebrow quirked at the response. "You know he's screwing with you, right?"

"Oh, I know." There was the uniquely curving eye smile again. How did he do that? And why the hell was it so attractive? Well, Iruka figured if he had managed to pull the businessman that far out of his icy rivalry then it shouldn't take too much more to loosen him up completely.

"Want me to go kick his arse?" the younger man asked with a jerk of his head in the rival's direction and an evil smirk.

"What?" Kakashi grinned.

"Well, I can't have you getting teased now. What kind of a teacher would I be if I allowed bullying?"

And there was the deep chuckle Iruka had been aiming for. Perhaps this manipulation game wasn't so hard after all. Iruka studied the man next to him and saw that through the amiable smile now gracing the striking face, the grey eye was still intent. The brunette struck out his last thought; Kakashi was allowing himself to be distracted. Casting a quick glance back at the pale-eyed stranger showed that the man was still watching them. He sent another charming smile in Iruka's direction and the teacher felt his eyebrow twitch.

_Should set him up with the redhead_, he thought with an evil internal chuckle.

"Iruka."

"Don't worry, I won't," Iruka answered without needing any more information. The slight apprehension in the deep voice was enough to tip him off as to what Kakashi was thinking. He turned serious, chocolate eyes on the tall man beside him. "Even if I wasn't here as your guest… well, I guess in that case I wouldn't be here at all, but that's beside the point." He waved away his rambling with a slender hand. "The point is that I'm not interested in him or anyone else here like that."

"There will be people here who are interested in you like that." Kakashi pointed out.

"Doesn't matter. I don't want that and it's not going to happen."

"I see. So, what do you want?" The question was casually asked and Iruka made the mistake of answering without thinking.

"I want to meet your friends, have a drink, watch the crowd, maybe find someone nice to chat to, a quiet corner to-" Dark brown eyes widened in realisation at what he'd almost let slip even as a silver eyebrow rose and pale lips quirked in what looked like fond tolerance. The younger man really was too honest for his own good. Quickly, Iruka blathered on hopelessly trying to cover for his slip. "Um, relax in, eat some of that food, and have a drink. Did I mention having a drink?"

"Iruka-"

"Oh look," Iruka interrupted with overly fake enthusiasm and a huge, cheeky grin, "people waving at us. They must be your friends." He quickly walked on ahead a few steps and heard Kakashi sigh behind him. He was relieved to see Genma amongst the group watching them expectantly. "Hello again, Genma."

"Hey, mate, she all flyin' straight?" The Australian grinned at him around his toothpick.

"Um, yes?" Iruka answered confusedly.

"Good t'hear, nothing like sprucing up to wake up. Lemme introduce y'to the motley lot. This here's Smokey, Gorgeous, Tits McGee, and the Russian. Wanna stubby?"

Iruka blinked and then blinked again as the other strangers all frowned at the grinning blonde.

"I really don't know," he said and felt a bit better when the women in the group directed kind smiles at him.

"Course y'do, hang about a tick." Genma got up and wandered off toward the bar.

He looked up, feeling a little lost, at Kakashi standing next to him. The older man was smiling at him in obvious amusement.

"I thought Australians spoke English?" He asked.

The rather impressively busty Chinese woman Genma had referred to as 'Tits McGee' was the one to answer him. "Sadly, English is their second language. Utter nonsense is their first. I'm Anko." She smiled and held out her hand to shake.

Iruka accepted it graciously. "Good evening, Anko. I'm Iruka."

"Iruka," another hand was held out to him, this one much larger and hairier, "I'm Asuma and this is my wife Kurenai."

"Hello, it's nice to meet you both. Oh and congratulations," the teacher said as he noticed Kurenai's obviously pregnant belly and shook her slender hand.

"Thank you. Lovely to meet you," the dark haired lady responded with a gentle smile and instantly Iruka knew he would get along well with her. Besides, if there was one thing he could talk about all night it was children and he knew pregnant women loved to talk about children.

The only one left was 'the Russian' and Iruka was left gaping as the man stood up to greet him. He was _huge_! Easily taller and wider than Kakashi! The broad face was stuck through with two long scars and studying him silently with piercing black eyes. He was dressed in dark slacks and a black shirt that was stretched tight over hard muscle but would have been like a dressing gown on Iruka. The man showed no sign of hair poking out from beneath a black skull cap. Damn but he felt tiny compared to this mountain of a man.

_Nothing like jumping in first to show the big guys you're not intimidated_, Iruka mentally coached himself and stuck out his hand.

"Hello, I'm Iruka."

As his hand disappeared inside of the man's massive one, the teacher couldn't help but wonder if it would be accidentally crushed. The shake, however, was gentle and firm.

"Ibiki. Pleasure is mine," The man drawled with a thick accent.

Kakashi's hand was back on his shoulder again. "Here, take a seat."

Taking the indicated chair between Kakashi and Kurenai, Iruka was relieved when Genma returned and passed him a well iced bottle of beer.

"Oh, stub-ey," Iruka attempted the word as he tipped the bottle in understanding and recognition for the man who had fetched it for him. "Thank you."

"No worries. If you want some of the hard stuff, they got it at the bar. You're a mate so if the boss doesn't get to you fast enough just hop on over and go at her yourself. Alright stuffs on the shelves at the back, good stuffs right down the bottom, ice'll be in one of the eskys, and glasses somewhere."

While it was done in a rather unorthodox way compared to what Iruka was used to, the teacher was surprised at just how warm the Australian's hospitality was. "Right, I'll do that. Thanks."

"No worries." The blonde waved off the thanks and looked around for his own drink. "Oi, Anko, you pinched my fuckin' grog again?"

"Did not! It was Asuma this time." The young Chinese woman laughed as the bearded man made an obvious show of taking a long swallow from Genma's beer.

Iruka couldn't resist the temptation. "You know, in Japan we call sharing drinks an indirect kiss." He grinned.

The reaction was fantastic. Asuma choked on the liquid, some of it spraying from his mouth in shock, Kurenai and Anko burst into gales of laughter, and Genma pulled a face before winking at his coughing friend.

"Why, Smoky, I had no idea you felt that way about me."

Kakashi watched with a small smile as Iruka integrated himself into the tight knit group of friends. The young teacher was a marvel at putting people at ease and making friends, it was almost an art form. Ibiki's voice drew his attention as he watched Asuma all but threw the bottle of beer at Genma's head.

"Kakashi, the man over there." The Russian nodded toward the pale-eyed annoyance who was chatting with a couple of pretty, topless twins at the edge of the pool. "Why the angry look at him when you come over?"

"Just someone trying to prove their own self importance," Kakashi said casually as he noticed Iruka had turned his attention to their conversation.

"Yes, there is many of those in the past days. I have been having trouble with them also. I not understand why they are all places and being so _dostavychie_... a pain."

"It's International Asshole Week," Iruka said absently as he had a drink of his beer. It took a moment before he realised what he'd just said and his eyes widened in mortification. What the hell was wrong with his mouth tonight?

"What is this 'International Asshole Week'?" Ibiki asked, the large man leaning with elbows on his knees towards the small teacher in interest.

"Yes, Iruka, do tell us." Kakashi grinned wickedly and Iruka wanted to punch him.

"Just a theory I came up with when I met you in Tokyo," The brunette shot back with deceptive mildness before remembering he had an audience of Kakashi's closest friends.

Colour flushed across his scar as the silver haired man arched an eyebrow and Ibiki stared at him for a moment in silence. Suddenly, a strange rumble came from the Russian, slowly growing in volume until – to Iruka's immense relief – it turned out he was laughing, not growling.

"Holy shit," Anko's cursed softly in surprise. "I haven't heard that in years."

Even Kakashi looked slightly stunned as the massive man reached past him and clapped a huge hand onto Iruka's shoulder.

"You." He grinned. "I like you. You already know Kakashi well. Come! We will drink vodka."

"Oi!" Was Kakashi's affronted exclamation as Iruka blinked at smiling Russian. He actually looked kind, not scary at all. Vodka huh? Iruka had never had that before.

"Umm, alright." The young teacher smiled and scratched at the back of his head nervously.

Genma laughed. "Ah mate, he's cactus."

* * *

**AN: Before you all go crazy at me for taking so long to update, I'm happy to say that I already have almost a third of the next chapter written! My brain is expelling, expelling I tell you!**

**Thanks goes to Lenap for her help in figuring out Russian words for Ibiki (*kisses to her*). The way Ibiki talks is based off a friend from Belarus in my uni days. Whatever he says in Russian will be followed up with text so you understand what he's getting at. Believe it or not, I didn't over do Genma's Australianess (no, technically not a word). We really do talk like that. City folk not so much but out in the towns we do and much worse, but if I wrote it like that many of you would have too much trouble understanding what he's on about. **

**Soup catcher = beard**

**Arvo = afternoon**

**Stubby = bottle of beer**

**Yank = American (we don't differentiate between the north and south. All Americans are Yanks to us and I know Vesca will growl at me for this. She often does)**

**Tossa = wanker, which we covered last chapter**

**Wuss = pansy, wimp (take your pick)**

**Cactus = done for**

**The redhead in this chapter is a real person. I kid you not, met her at a party a few years back and she did something similar to a mate of mine. Weirdest fuckin' thing.**

**New fanart has been linked in my bio and I'm also on so if you have any random questions to ask you can find me there (link in bio also).**

**Do I get love now?**


	9. Russian Homebrew

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. A mate of mine at uni brewed grog like this and damn did it knock me on my arse.**

**AN: One quick thing to note, in this fic Asuma and Sarutobi aren't related. I know some of you may not like that but please bear with it for the sake of the story ^_^**

**My love to the brilliant Meiun who edits my chapters for me, she does a bang up job! The utterly delightful Lenap translated for Ibiki and gave me some gorgeous information for the story. She has also done an incredible bit of artwork for Chapter 3, the market scene. It's fantastic and I demand you all go and see it, there's a link in my bio.**

* * *

**Stranger Situations**

**Chapter 9: Russian Homebrew**

"_Byd'ma_." Ibiki raised his tall shot glass between thick, calloused fingers in toast.

The alcohol had come from an old hip flask the Russian had pulled from the pocket of a black trench coat tossed carelessly over the back of his chair. While Ibiki had poured the drinks, Iruka had felt distinctly worried that no one else asked to join them or complained that they'd not been offered one. When he'd looked at Kakashi and asked pragmatically "I'm going to regret this, aren't I?" there had been a definite anticipatory gleam in the single grey eye.

Iruka raised his own glass in salute to the large Russian and took a fortifying breath. The liquor winked at him innocently in the ambient lighting while giving off fumes strong enough to make his eyes want to water.

"_Kampai_," Iruka said with a fatalistic grin and downed the shot at the same time as Ibiki. Everything was fine for the first two seconds, then the fumes rushed through his sinuses at the same time as his stomach and throat caught on fire. Iruka doubled over and started coughing hard as laughter and cheers erupted from the small group.

"Holy shit," he choked out between hacks and blinked moisture from his eyes. They were watering like mad.

"You're alright, mate," Genma crowed as Kurenai reached over to rub the young teacher's back.

Kakashi's hand shot out and caught her slender wrist midair. There was a moment's pause where the group looked at the silver haired man curiously. Kakashi released Kurenai and his fingers quickly flicked through a series of signs.

_Not his back._

By this stage, Iruka had managed to bring his coughing under control and was straightening up, laughing as he rubbed tears from his eyes. Everyone instantly plastered smiles on their faces as if a private exchange hadn't just occurred behind the newcomer's back.

"Damn that stuff's toxic." The teacher grinned at Ibiki, who was completely unaffected by the alcohol's strength and looked like he'd just enjoyed a refreshing sip of water. "Feels like I've just drunk a jar of hot wasabi."

There was a general voicing of agreement from the others at his explanation as Iruka took a long swallow of his cold beer to try and sooth his heated gullet.

"That shit's good for two things," Genma said as he leaned back in his chair, "stripping oil stains off your driveway and getting ugly chicks laid."

Anko smacked the blond man in the back of the head and ignored his halfhearted protest at the treatment. "Oh please, you'll sleep with anything on two legs regardless of looks when you get desperate enough. God, do you remember that woman from Greenland with the massively hairy-"

"Shut it!" Genma snapped as he lunged forward and slapped one hand over Anko's mouth and the other to the back of her head so she couldn't pull away. She just kept speaking into his palm as she struggled to get out of his grip. "I don't reckon we be needing any reminders of our past exploits, cheers lovely. Plenty of spiders in all our boots."

Anko managed to wrench the Australian's hand away for a moment, eyes gleaming as she gasped out, "Purple ferret named Mabel-" before being effectively gagged again. At those four words, Kurenai and Asuma burst into laughter.

"Hell, I'd forgotten about that old gypsy and her menagerie," Asuma chucked as Kurenai laid a hand over her eyes.

"Don't say anymore. I don't want to remember. Oh God, the mental images are back and I can't drown them in alcohol. Damn it!"

Iruka watched their interactions with much interest. They were just like his friends only more colourful in their life experiences. A purple ferret named Mabel? The orphanage sensei contemplated asking for a moment then decided he really didn't want to know.

While Iruka was distracted, Ibiki spoke to Kakashi quietly in Russian. "I see what you were saying on the phone about his back, his movements are very restricted. What happened to him?"

Kakashi kept a pleasant smile on his face but the slate grey eye had narrowed and darkened dramatically. Ibiki recognised the sign instantly and knew that his old friend was hiding a lot of anger beneath his calm visage. It took a lot to make Kakashi's eye darken like that and Ibiki's interest was instantly piqued.

"He was tortured on a regular basis for almost seven years, between the ages of four and eleven. His entire back is a network of scars upon scars, there's not a clear bit of skin left." Kakashi ignored the thunderous expression that passed briefly over the Russian's face and kept speaking in a low tone so as not to attract Iruka's attention. "The muscles and joints are out of place and although he won't admit it, he's in constant pain. I think he's gotten so used to the discomfort over the years he barely notices anymore until it's aggravated."

Ibiki's expression was controlled but there was a tight edge to his voice. "To such a young child… Who did it?"

"His caretakers at the orphanage he grew up in. Poor kid even got shot and had to learn to walk again. He's had a childhood so screwed up it puts even mine to shame."

"That's quite an achievement," Ibiki muttered in surprise, looking at the small brunette laughing along with the rest of the group and reassessing his initial impression of him. "So, I'm guessing you want me to do an assessment and some preliminary physical therapy on him tonight. When do we knock him out?"

"We're not."

"You said he'd never let us near him conscious."

"He won't. We're not doing it."

Black eyes narrowed speculatively. "Why not?"

Kakashi ran a frustrated hand through his silver hair even as the relaxed expression remained unchanged. "Because… I owe it to him to _not_ knock him out." There was a tiny sigh. "It's hard to explain."

"This is most unlike you, my friend. What's he do for a living?"

"He's a penniless teacher and guardian at the orphanage he grew up in." There was an amused, self-mocking edge to Kakashi's voice. "And I think one of the best people I've ever met."

Ibiki was more than willing to admit he was intrigued by Kakashi's words. "Think I'd best get to know this little morsel better."

Leaning past the silver haired man, Ibiki placed his hand Iruka's slender shoulder distracting him from the antics of the rest of the group.

"You do well for first time, like a man. Again, yes?" the scarred man asked in English, lifting the flask in invitation.

Iruka looked at Kakashi for a moment and smiled helplessly. "Sure, why not? My stomach's already been liquidated, what the hell, let's go nuke my liver too."

"_Molodez_!" Ibiki declared with a wide grin and clapped him hard enough on the shoulder to sting. "Your glass please."

Iruka held the tall shot glass out and Ibiki poured a steady measure into it before refilling his own.

"You're mad," Kurenai exclaimed. "Kakashi's the only one that's ever gone back for seconds and by the end of that night the two of them had ended up swimming butt-naked in piranha infested waters singing _God Save the Queen_ and that Russian drinking song."

Kakashi leaned back in his chair with a nostalgic smile on his lips. "Oh yeah, I remember that."

"No you don't," Kurenai admonished. "All you remember is what we told you the next morning after you'd finished trying to hurl up your intestines."

Her scolding was completely ignored as Kakashi grinned at Ibiki and asked, "What was the name of that song again?"

"_Oi moroz moroz_," answered Ibiki before surprising the heck out of Iruka by breaking into song.

Iruka's surprise changed to shocked and delighted amusement when after a few moments Kakashi joined in, singing along with his friend. Ibiki threw an arm over Kakashi's shoulders as they both lifted their drinks and raised their voices. After a few moments, the two men finished on a trembling note and Genma, Anko, Iruka, and a few random people standing near by applauded. Ibiki waved his hand at Iruka.

"And now we must drink. Drink!" the Russian ordered and, in the spirit of the moment, Iruka knocked back the potent shot without a second thought.

"Fuck," he managed to bite out before succumbing to another coughing fit and a rather violent sneeze as the fumes once more assaulted his sinuses. "I was wrong."

"About what?" Kakashi asked with great amusement as he handed Iruka his beer.

The flushed teacher took a large gulp before answering, "It being easier the second time."

Loud laughter followed his words.

"Gosh no, Kakashi was choking plenty at the start. How long did it take you to get used to it?" Kurenai asked the silver haired businessman.

Kakashi scratched sheepishly at the back of his neck as his eye curved up into its unique arch. "Honestly, I can't remember."

There was more laughter at this before Ibiki hefted his flask again. "More, yes?"

"No!" Iruka said loudly with a chuckle. "I'm already sweating from what we've just drunk, anymore and I'll have to go throw myself in the pool. God, it's brilliant stuff, seriously. Where'd you get it?"

"That turps there's a Morino exclusive," Genma piped up.

"Only the very select get the 'pleasure' of sampling it," added Asuma with a deep chuckle.

Iruka suddenly felt rather small and a bit stupid. Of course it was an exclusive brand; this was Kakashi's crowd he was sitting with, they wouldn't exactly go pick up their drinks from the local liquor store. At the exact same moment his smile became slightly strained, Kakashi spoke up from beside him.

"They mean that Ibiki makes it himself. Morino is his family name."

"_Samogon_," The large Russian said, tapping the flask with a thick finger.

"Homebrew," Kakashi supplied helpfully in Japanese before continuing in English. "It's not actually vodka but is damn strong. Funnily enough, it's a bit kinder to your head in the morning if brewed right and Ibiki here," he clapped a hand to the Russian's shoulder, "brews the best."

"Oh!" Iruka exclaimed in surprise, the unease from a few moments ago vanishing completely. "That's fantastic."

"All ingredients are carefully selected. The potatoes I grow myself," Ibiki said with a proud edge to his voice.

"I see," Iruka grinned. "We have a vegetable garden at home. It's just a little one but I grow potatoes too. They're always small, though."

At this, the large man flashed a big grin and shifted forward in his seat a little while motioning for the teacher to lean toward him. "Come, I tell you secret to growing best potatoes."

And this was how Iruka came to be discussing the best gardening techniques for growing root vegetables with a very large and surprisingly nice Russian at an exclusive party in Los Angeles.

**…**

It was two beers later and during a conversation with Kurenai about the importance of regular routine for young children that Iruka offered to get them fresh drinks from the bar. It was just the two of them sitting by the pool, Kurenai reclining on a cushioned sunlounge happy to have her feet up as Iruka sat on the edge of another sunlounge beside her. Their small group had separated a short while ago; Anko racing after a ridiculously attractive man who she'd claimed to have seen in _GQ Magazine_, Genma going to socialise with his guests, and Kakashi and Asuma greeting a familiar face in the crowd. Ibiki had just stood up and silently stalked off somewhere without explanation and it had been amusing to watch the socialites instinctively scramble from his path.

Iruka had been grateful when Kurenai had firmly declared she had neither the energy nor desire to be socially gracious and Asuma could go off without her for awhile. They had moved to sit by the pool for the comfortable chairs at her insistence. That the pool was heated was a relief to Iruka as the temperature was steadily dropping and the warm water close by offered a small but welcome relief.

Iruka had considered running up to the room to get his jacket but just couldn't bring himself to do so. Entering the house with Kakashi and then sitting with the obviously exclusive group of their host had drawn enough attention to him for the evening. Even as he and Kurenai sat chatting, the other guests eyed them curiously, wondering what made them special. Wearing a tattered old hoodie in this crowd, he'd rather just be a bit cold. He had offered to fetch something for Kurenai earlier and she'd laughed declaring that the pregnancy hormones kept her well warm.

"I need some water; the alcohol's dried me out. Would you like another lemonade or juice?" Iruka asked during a comfortable lull in their conversation.

"No, anymore and I'll be running off to the toilet every five seconds. Speaking of which, could you be a dear and help me up? Pregnant woman in a recliner is sort of like a turtle on its back in a hole."

The teacher chuckled and held out his hands. "Of course."

Iruka had no idea how she did it, but Kurenai managed to make shuffling with that large belly look strangely graceful. She was a classy lady. Earlier in the evening, the teacher had asked her and Asuma how they'd met. It turned out that they had gotten together when assigned to the same team in the Special Forces. Asuma was originally from Spain but had moved to America with his mother at a young age after his father had driven himself off a cliff when drunk. His mother had wanted to get as far away from their small, gossiping community as possible and they'd moved to the States, losing themselves in the slick streets of Seattle.

Kurenai was Mexican from the city of Acapulco, though her family had sent her to an exclusive, all-girls boarding school in England. She had received the best education in everything from science and politics to dancing and needlework, and she'd _loathed_ every minute of it. Promptly after graduation, Kurenai had horrified her parents by refusing an excellent marriage offer and joining the army. She had ignored the question of what her family did for a living and looked relieved when Iruka had accepted her avoidance with a kind smile and smoothly changed the topic.

Once Kurenai was on her feet, they parted ways with the promise to meet back at their seats in a short while. Finding an empty space at the bar, Iruka surveyed the people milling about as he waited for one of the staff to attend him, not confident to hop the bar and help himself as Genma had suggested. He hadn't had much of a chance to crowd watch that night, as Kakashi's friends were so interesting they had taken all his attention. Thinking of Kakashi, the teacher automatically began scanning for the distinctive figure in the sea of bodies. It didn't take long to locate him.

The striking man was on the terrace, leaning comfortably against the wooden railing with his back to Iruka and a glass of dark amber liquid in hand. Considering the man's choice in alcohol over the past few days, Iruka would bet that he was drinking a rather good whiskey. There were two women with him, tall, willowy brunettes in short dresses that clung and dipped in all the right places. The women weren't so much speaking with Kakashi as giggling uncontrollably at everything he said. At least Iruka assumed Kakashi was speaking considering he couldn't see the man's face and the idea that the women would just stand there laughing like that for no reason was a bit too weird.

They tossed their glossy hair and flashed delighted smiles with painted lips while reaching out to brush flirtatious hands over Kakashi's arms or chest. It was exactly what Iruka had pictured would happen that night and he was both relieved and saddened. He was not so dishonest with himself that he couldn't admit he was jealous of the women that now held Kakashi's attention. It had been flattering and heady to say the least having the intriguing man focused solely on him for a time.

_Then again_,_ there were plenty of times when I just wanted him to leave me alone, _Iruka thought with a rueful smile as goose bumps broke out on his skin from the cold wind.

"It appears you've been abandoned," a voice – American – drawled from beside him and the slight brunette turned to look into eyes that were a most unusual shade of pale green. "More's the pity."

It was the man from earlier, the one who had deliberately ruffled Kakashi's feathers. Iruka's head tilted slightly in speculation as the stranger smiled at him amicably and leaned against the bar, well into the orphanage sensei's personal space. Tall, conventionally handsome, and dressed to impress in a well cut suit of dove grey, the man was radiating confidence and charm.

_Oh great, another one,_ the teacher thought with a mental sigh. What was it with him and cocky businessmen lately?

"Not really," Iruka replied casually and lifted his hand to catch the bartender's attention. "Water please."

He ignored the stranger's teasing comment of "I see you're on the hard stuff." and kept his eyes on the man serving him. He'd already had enough alcohol that his head was feeling pleasantly fuzzy and he was getting a little drowsy. The cold was doing wonders for keeping him awake but he knew he needed to hydrate before drinking any more alcohol. There was no way he was getting drunk around this strange crowd without someone trusted to look out for him, that would just be supremely stupid. It was a shame that the alcohol wasn't keeping him warmer, perhaps he would have to run upstairs and get his jacket after all.

"Still or sparkling, sir?" the bartender asked and Iruka barely stopped himself from sighing.

"Just normal water, thanks."

The man – ever the professional – didn't so much as blink at the teacher's reply and turned to the man next to him, assuming they were together. "And for you, sir?"

"What have you got in the way of champagne?"

The bartender rattled off a short list of brands and dates that meant absolutely nothing to Iruka but obviously did to the wealthy stranger standing next to him as he then ordered, "Two glasses of the Krug."

They were left alone as their drinks were fetched and the teacher began to feel distinctly uncomfortable when the man simply stood there watching him.

"You're not the sort I usually see at these kinds of functions," the stranger finally said, running speculative gaze up and down Iruka in a way that had dark brown eyes narrowing in annoyance.

"You likely won't again. I'm a tag along tonight," he replied, polite but not contributing to the conversation.

The man seemed unperturbed by his standoffishness – yet another trait he shared in common with Kakashi – and held out his hand. "Name's Decon."

"Iruka."

They shook hands and Iruka noted that Decon's skin was soft and smooth, nails clean and neatly trimmed. It made him think of the calluses and scars covering Kakashi's hands and instantly knew that as similar as the two businessmen were on the surface, they were really as different as night and day.

"You're hands are very cold, Iruka. Would you like my jacket?"

Dark eyebrows shot up at the man's completely unexpected offer and for a moment Iruka was tempted to check and see if he'd somehow grown breasts in the last hour without noticing.

"Umm, no, thank you."

Decon smirked, eyes shining with private amusement that had the teacher flushing with annoyance as well as discomfort. How wonderful to know he was so entertaining to the wealthy class. Their drinks arrived at that moment and he snatched up his bottle of water before glancing at the green-eyed man with a deliberately blank expression.

"Have a good night, Decon."

Decon, however, picked up the two flutes of champagne, cradling them skilfully in one hand, and fell into step with Iruka as he headed back to wait for Kurenai by the pool.

"So cold, Iruka, we've only just met and already I've been blown off." The tone was playful, teasing. "Won't you at least get to know me first?" It was obvious that this newcomer thought he could change Iruka's opinion of him. Iruka wasn't so sure.

The young teacher didn't answer straight away, instead taking a moment to consider his options. He could deny Decon's claim and be polite until the man got bored and went away on his own – which would likely take awhile, be horribly awkward, and interrupt his nice conversation with Kurenai – or he could be honest. Honesty was usually the best policy and if there was one thing he'd learned about people like Kakashi in the last few days it was better to be blunt than polite. They ignored politeness.

"To be honest, I'm not really sure I want to know you," Iruka said, fixing the other man with a direct gaze, noting the surprise that flickered across the handsome features. "You used me earlier to antagonise my, umm," what did he call Kakashi? Not exactly a friend but more than an acquaintance and sure as hell not a lover, "_companion_ and I don't appreciate that." He flicked his eyes down at the glasses of champagne meaningfully. "I'm sure your friend is waiting for their drink, so I won't keep you."

There was a moment's tense silence before Decon's mouth lifted in an appreciative smile and Iruka knew he had just failed to get rid of the man easily. Damn it!

"Well, well, you're a live one. Don't get many like you at these parties." The green eyed man shrugged a relaxed shoulder. "I was screwing with your 'companion' earlier, I'll admit, but I was- _am_ genuinely interested in you. You seem to be an interesting guy and one of these," Decon held up the glasses of bubbling liquid with a winning smile, "is for you. Share a drink with me," he coaxed in a low, intimate tone as he stepped closer and placed his hand on the small of Iruka's back.

The reaction was immediate, instinctual, and horribly embarrassing. Iruka jerked like a startled cat, flinching away from the contact and dropping his bottle of water. Thank the heavens it was a plastic bottle and not glass! Decon quickly retracted his hand, eyeing the teacher with obvious surprise. A couple of people near by turned to watch the spectacle Iruka was making of himself and the young man felt heat flowing up his neck to infuse his face. Could he not even get through one evening around this sort of company without appearing like a complete fool?

"I'm sorry," he muttered, bobbing down to retrieve the bottle while the stranger watched him with a thoughtful frown. "Please excuse my actions just now. Thank you for the offer of a drink but I'll stick with the water."

"After that reaction it might be a good idea," Decon said with a frown and it was obvious that Iruka had upset him. The man recovered quickly, however, and leered at the embarrassed teacher. "Do you always get so jumpy when drinking or do I make you nervous?" Iruka wasn't sure whether to be insulted or flattered by the man's words and looked at him uncertainly instead of replying. "Nevertheless, I do want to share a drink with you and at eighty dollars a glass it would truly be a shame to let this bubbly go to waste."

Iruka almost dropped his water again. "You're joking! Eighty dollars a glass? American dollars?" He stared at the delicate flutes with their sparkling liquid. Liquid gold apparently!

"I knew it," Decon's smile turned into a sharp smirk and he tilted his head like he'd just discovered an interesting new species of insect. "I'd already guessed from your clothes but fashion changes so quickly that half the time the old stuff is new and the new stuff is shipped off to charity. Where are you from, little one?"

"Reality apparently," Iruka answered still staring at the champagne like it was going to bite him and Decon laughed appreciatively. "Genma must be insane," he muttered to himself in Japanese.

"Without doubt," came a heavily accented voice in English.

The teacher blinked in surprise at Ibiki as the large man stepped up to his side. "You can understand me?" he asked, speaking in his native tongue.

"Understand yes, speak no. Very hard to say your words, we stay with English." Ibiki switched his attention to Decon who was watching their exchange quietly with a raised eyebrow. "You are?"

The businessman looked mildly taken aback by the direct question. "Decon."

"Decon…"

Green eyes narrowed in annoyance. "Decon Cartermain. You are?"

"Ibiki Morino."

Iruka watched the exchange of names feeling distinctly uncomfortable. There was something else at play here that he didn't know about, some sort of power game he didn't understand but was somehow a part of. The two men eyed each other speculatively as Iruka stood awkwardly by, looking out at the crowd and trying to appear relaxed. The wind picked up and he shivered, hunching in on himself a little and sliding his hands in his pockets to try to warm them. He was going to have to go get his jacket; it was stupid to let himself get cold and would give him an excuse to get away from the tense atmosphere of the two men. As if in answer to his thoughts, something large and warm dropped onto Iruka's shoulders and the teacher looked up to see Ibiki smiling down at him while Decon watched with a frown.

"What is it with men and trying to give me their jackets tonight?" he muttered but didn't shrug off Ibiki's large trench coat, it was doing and excellent job of blocking the wind.

"You are _klazaesh zybami_, cold. You wear coat to keep warm or you drink _samogon_ to keep warm," Ibiki said sternly before grinning. "I hope you choose to drink."

Iruka sighed but was grinning as well. "I'll stick with the jacket. But this in no way makes me a girl. You dropped it on me so at best I'm a coat rack."

Something in the dynamic between the three men shifted as soon as the words left his mouth. Ibiki looked down at him pleased, Decon's pale eyes transmitted his annoyance, and too late Iruka realised what had just happened. Through accepting the coat he'd been _claimed_ by Ibiki! What the hell? These people really did exist in a bizarre world of their own.

The Russian turned back to the businessman. "You drink spirits?"

"Not today," Decon answered in a clipped tone, lifting the champagne in demonstration.

Ibiki shrugged and looked down at Iruka. "You want?" he asked, pointing at the champagne, "or you want?" He lifted his scuffed flask containing the deadly brew.

Iruka chuckled and lifted his bottle of water. "All I want is this."

A thick finger was waggled in his face as the large Russian grinned down at him. "You are smart man. Good head on small shoulders." The smile turned into a hard stare directed at Decon and the suited man looked like he wanted to take a step back but lifted his chin pridefully instead. "He does not want your drink. How do they say it? More's the pity."

The green eyes narrowed to angry slits. "Indeed."

To Iruka's utter annoyance and fascination, Decon nodded to him once in farewell and left. Just left. Turned on his heel and walked away.

"Alright, that's bullshit," the teacher declared turning incredulous brown eyes to Ibiki as he slipped his arms into the sleeves of the oversized coat. "I even told him I didn't want to know him and he just ignored me. The two of you swap names, glare at each other, discuss alcohol for all of ten seconds, and he leaves. How did you do that?" He plonked down on the edge of a sunlounge, Ibiki sitting opposite on the one previously occupied by Kurenai.

The massive man shrugged a broad shoulder and looked bored. "I am large and Russian."

Iruka had to concede that point. "You are that," he chuckled and ran a hand through his hair, trying to get it out of his eyes. "How'd you know he said that to me earlier, 'More's the pity'? I didn't see you nearby."

"I was watching from there." Ibiki indicated vaguely across the yard. "I read his mouth."

"That's quite a talent," Iruka said impressed.

"It is habit. You read body, mouth, and eyes to let you know about a man. This Decon spends too much time on computers and has stiff hips and sore neck. He is only confident in money and it gets him what he wants if flashy enough with it. So, has expensive wine, talks of money, offers gift, gets sex." A large hand was waved dismissively as if the observations were child's play. "He was wrong too. Kakashi does not abandon you, Kakashi is good man and loyal friend."

"Oh, no, I know that. Decon was just being an asshole," Iruka said quickly to reassure the large man. "Kakashi's been great, really. I won't lie, we've had a few problems and spent a lot of time arguing, but he's really helped me out of some tight spots since we met and I'm very grateful to him. He's a good guy and that shows in the calibre of his friends." He leaned back as Genma appeared, stepping over Ibiki's legs, and yelling at someone on the other side of the pool that a woman named Louise was looking for them. "All of you are just fantastic; I can't wait to tell my brother about who I've met tonight. He's going to love hearing the stories."

"You'll have to bring him next time. Uchi-pooch too, ain't seen the little shit in yonks," Genma said as he dropped down next to Iruka and threw a friendly arm around the teacher's shoulders. "Bring your bathers and we'll have a barbie. Oh look, there's Tara. Wonderful bird Tara, got a mouth on her like a bogan but if you can get her to shut up." He gave a low whistle. "Mate, does she know how to use that tongue for the betterment of man kind. Aeroplane blond, most of 'em are round here, but could crack a walnut with them ginger meggs." With a wink and a hard slap to Iruka's shoulder, Genma was up and after the woman who greeted him by swearing loudly and colourfully before grabbing him by the hair and sticking her tongue in his mouth.

Iruka started for a confused moment before laughing. "I really have no idea what half the things he says mean. Who on Earth's 'Uchi-pooch'?"

"He means Sasuke," Ibiki said as he poured a measure from his flask into his shot glass. "Uchiha becomes this Uchi-pooch. Is stupid Australian naming thing."

"Oh dear God, does Sasuke know Genma calls him that?"

"Of course, he get very angry and Genma throws him in the pool to 'cool off'." Ibiki gave a gruff sort of half laugh. "Sasuke was very young and he does not like Genma since."

For a moment, Iruka sat with the mental image of angry teenage Sasuke trying to punch Genma for butchering his family name. Disturbingly, it wasn't hard to imagine at all.

"I'll be sure to never let Sasuke know I know. Has Genma given you a name like that?"

"He tried but I threw him into river," the Russian smirked evilly, "off bridge."

That got Iruka laughing again.

"It was brilliant actually and well deserved," Kurenai said as she rejoined them and Ibiki stood to assist her in reclining back in the seat. "Oh, that's better. Would you believe I was accosted by a crazed redhead in the bathroom demanding information on Kakashi? I told her to go to hell, of course. Honestly, what a pain."

"No way, the one in the tight black dress with red nails?" Iruka asked and Kurenai nodded. "I had her earlier before I met all of you. Hasn't she just talked to him yet?" He glanced around the crowd to see if he could spot the strange woman. He did, standing next to Kakashi on the terrace. "Hey look, she's with him now."

"Finally," Kurenai sighed, not making the effort to turn around and see for herself. Instead, she took hold of the gruff Russian's hand and laid it on her protruding stomach over where the baby was kicking. Ibiki's face instantly looked both fascinated and mildly uncomfortable. "Has she started mauling him yet? She seemed rather rabid in the bathroom; I have no doubt that Kakashi will have a very hard time getting rid of that one. It'll be good for him. He picks up and throws away casual flings far too easily, about time he got stuck with someone more aggressive, and that woman is _aggressive_."

Iruka deliberately turned away when the redhead stepped boldly forward and moulded her curvaceous body to Kakashi's, sliding long crimson nails into the silver hair at the nape of his neck. Even though it was what the teacher had hoped would happen that night, he sure as hell didn't want to watch. A part of him desperately wished that Kakashi hadn't been facing away from him, though. For reasons he couldn't explain, Iruka really wanted to know what kind of expression was showing on the gorgeous man's face. More than that, he wanted to know what emotions were showing in the fathomless grey eye.

"She will have challenge from the blond in kitchen," Ibiki stated as he removed his hand from Kurenai's stomach and straightened up.

The dark haired beauty stole Iruka's bottle of water (Iruka was getting the distinct impression that stealing each other's drinks was a sign of affection with this group of friends). "Blond?"

"Very big _personality_," the large man said with a leer. "Both of them."

"Well, he's managed to cover all the hair colours tonight then. There were a couple of brunettes latched onto him earlier giggling their heads off," Iruka added to the conversation in an effort to prove to himself that he could move past the tight coil of jealousy twisting his guts.

"Yes, they are back and red is not happy."

At Ibiki's words, Iruka turned to look in Kakashi's direction and, sure enough, there were the two brunettes competing for his attention. The silver haired businessman was still leaning casually against the veranda railing and didn't seem to be bothered in the slightest by all the attention. Things with the women were getting heated and there was an awful lot of hip cocking, hair tossing, and what looked to be angry giggling going on. Iruka suddenly wished he had something stronger on hand to drink than just water.

"When I heard he was bringing someone tonight I actually thought that you were his date." Kurenai gave Iruka a curious and cautious sideways glance. "Especially with that hickey on your neck."

The teacher instantly slapped his hand over the marked skin in mortification and blushed a deep red. His hair obviously wasn't doing a very good job at hiding it.

"Oh, umm, err, no," he stumbled out and blushed a little deeper for his ineloquence. "It's not like that. Sasuke, umm…" He forced himself to remove his hand from covering the mark and scratched at the back of his head in a failing attempt at normalcy. "Sasuke asked him to keep an eye on me on the trip over here from Japan. He took the request quite seriously and has been kinda towing me around since. It's sort of a long story and not very interesting but we're not together or anything like that."

The looks he received from Kakashi's friends showed that they were less than convinced but were willing to not press the subject. Iruka darted his eyes off to the side in embarrassment, which inevitably had him looking back at the spectacle of the silver haired man surrounded by the glittering women.

"How does he stand it?" Iruka wondered aloud as Kakashi slouched further against the railing looking completely at ease.

"He zones out," Kurenai replied before covering her mouth with a slender hand to hide a yawn. "Or he takes it for the entertainment it is. He's even been known to encourage it just for fun and sometimes he'll sneak away while they're in mid argument and it takes them a good while to realise that he's gone."

"I know it should shock me that the women don't notice he's run off but I've learned that over the last few days that he is ridiculously and often irritatingly sneaky."

"_Byd'ma_," Ibiki toasted the truth of Iruka's words and knocked back his shot. "You know, the third time is easier. Much more smooth."

The large man dangled his flask in front of the teacher with a playful glint in his dark eyes. Iruka eyed the flask then shrugged. He had just been wishing that he had something stronger to drink. Ibiki lied. Iruka still coughed his guts up but at least he was warmer afterwards.

**…**

Time ticked by as they talked about everything and nothing. Kurenai had gone to bed a few minutes earlier, kissing both of them on the cheek goodnight. Asuma had emerging from the crowd to escort her indoors. It made Iruka realise that regardless of the fact that he hadn't noticed the bearded man in the milling masses, it was obvious Asuma hadn't let his wife out of his sight all night. It was very sweet. It was getting close to the time where Iruka would make his excuses and head to bed as well, but he wanted to have at least one more drink with Ibiki first. He was sticking to water, though, as the last shot of the Russian homebrew had left him feeling pleasantly tipsy and he knew he'd reached his responsible alcohol limit for the night.

The large Russian was fantastically interesting to talk with. He had discovered that Ibiki had grown up in Novosibirsk as an only child with a widowed father and an old three legged dog named _Bigus_, which was also a dish made from cabbage and spiced meat and incidentally Ibiki's favourite food. He was an avid wrestling fan and had been the champion of his school, making his dad very proud. His father had died unexpectedly of heart failure one harsh winter when Ibiki was seventeen. That had been the catalyst that drove him to join the army and get out of Russia.

"You have not told your story tonight," Ibiki prompted after a comfortable silence.

"To be honest, I've talked so much about my life in the last few days that I'm sick of hearing my own voice," Iruka hedged with a sheepish chuckle. "I love hearing about your lives and what roads you've all travelled to end up where you are now. I've never heard of a military team made up of people from so many different countries." He yawned, politely covering his mouth and feeling comfortably drowsy. "Well, except for in the movies where they've put together a super force that runs around blowing up the secret bases of evil millionaires bent on world domination! Is that how you met Kakashi? Did he try to take over the world?" the teacher asked with a cheeky grin.

"Only the once." Iruka gave a loud, startled gasp as Kakashi's deep voice whispered the words in his ear. Hands, warm and large on his shoulders, held him in place as long legs slid one at a time to rest along side his until the teacher was bordered by Kakashi's strong thighs. "Actually, the two of us met in a bar fight in Amsterdam. He almost landed a punch and I almost landed a punch and we both stepped back and eyed the other before deciding it was a smarter idea to trade names than blows."

"Stop sneaking up on me!" Iruka snapped angrily in Japanese, swinging around to smack the taller man in the shoulder only to have his hand caught midair and his arm wrapped around his stomach along with one of Kakashi's. Ibiki was chuckling into his drink as Iruka glared over his shoulder and Kakashi grinned at him, eye curved into its frustratingly attractive arch. "Why are you always sneaking?"

"Because you always give such a wonderful reaction," Kakashi chuckled and pulled the teacher a little more snugly against him.

Dark eyes narrowed in annoyance. "Shouldn't you be off getting pawed at by women with really tight dresses and shiny hair?"

"I decided to leave them to it. I'm sure they'll realise I'm gone eventually."

Iruka turned to look at the terrace and, sure enough, there was the redhead, the two brunettes, and a blond woman with insanely huge breasts all snapping at each other. Kakashi was right, they hadn't realised he was gone yet.

"Told you," Ibiki said while stretching out his legs. "Soon they will see he is gone and come seeking."

Iruka felt as though the Russian's words slapped him. "Then they'll come over here and see… Kakashi, get off."

"Why, sensei, what a delightful invitation." The silver haired man's voice was low, sexy, and full of amusement as warm breath ghosted over Iruka's ear and sent a small shiver over his skin.

The teacher's cheeks flamed and he awkwardly elbowed the man sitting behind him. "I didn't mean it like that!"

"They have noticed," Ibiki drawled and Iruka glanced back at the women to see confusion written on all their faces as they peered into the crowd for the illusive object of their collective desires.

Kakashi rested his chin on Iruka's shoulder and leaned his head against the brunette's. "Save me, Iruka. I'm being objectified."

Iruka couldn't help it; he gave a strange sort of surprised half cough before dissolving into laughter. _Kakashi _being objectified? Hilarious and ridiculously true in this case, making it all the funnier. He could feel the older man smiling against his cheek and he leaned back into the solid body as his chuckles drifted off. It was nice to have a backrest and he felt some of the tension ease from his spine. Kakashi took his weight easily.

"You do realise they're going to eat me alive when they get here," he quipped before hiding a yawn behind his hand.

"No," said Ibiki, "you will ruin their diet. More possible they will claw you."

"The blond might smother me." Iruka grinned. "I bet she could easily smother me from at least three feet away with her massive…" he drifted off with a small blush.

"Personality," Ibiki supplied helpfully.

"Yes, with her frighteningly massive personality."

The three men chuckled and Iruka hid another yawn behind his hand. He'd gone beyond feeling drowsy to just plain tired and needed sleep. The party was still pumping around them but it was close to midnight and Iruka had had a very long and stressful day. Cocooned in a nice fuzz from the alcohol and exhausted from the events of the day, Iruka tried hard not to think about how easily Kakashi had slid in behind him without setting off his usual panicked reaction. He tried to ignore how comfortable it was to have the larger man surrounding him, strong arms, long legs, and broad chest at his back.

He definitely didn't think about how badly he wanted to stay right there and show the glossy women that the remarkable man was already spoken for. Nope, he wasn't going to think about doing that at all. Whether Kakashi slept with one or all of the women chasing him had absolutely nothing to do with him. In fact, he wanted it to happen! It would be a good thing; Iruka would get the whole bed to himself if Kakashi was off in someone else's.

"Ok, I'm out for the night. I need sleep and you two need a chance to catch up," the teacher declared and resolutely ignored the flash of warmth that speared through his system when Kakashi's arm tightened around him, preventing him from getting up.

"But, if you leave now I'll lose my hiding place," Kakashi drawled near his ear, the warm breath causing goose bumps to break out over honeyed skin. "You wouldn't leave me defenceless and alone would you, Ru?"

"Yeah, I can see how you would be terrified. Because, you know, it's not like you're one of the smoothest talking, manipulative, sneakiest people here tonight. I can see that the women are going to take horrible, filthy advantage of you, you poor man." Iruka firmly removed Kakashi's arm from around his waist – struggling for a moment before the larger man loosened his grip – and stood up. "Look, never fear, Ibiki taught me a fool proof way of getting rid of unwanted company earlier. What you do is demand their name then introduce yourself and offer them a drink. Works like a charm."

Ibiki smirked in a very self-satisfied way at Iruka's words as the teacher slid off the huge trench coat and handed gave it back with thanks, shivering as the cold night air hit him. Kakashi cocked an eyebrow at the Russian.

"This was my friend from earlier I saw you talking with, I take it?" Kakashi asked and Ibiki nodded. Iruka cursed internally; of course Kakashi had seen him making a fool out of himself. Perfect. "And?"

"_Mudak_."

Iruka didn't need to speak Russian to know that Ibiki had just said something insulting judging by the smirk on Kakashi's face. "Well, it is International Asshole Week."

Iruka gave an amused and slightly sheepish chuckle before stifling another yawn and turning to leave. "Right then, you two have a good night."

He jolted to a halt as he almost bumped into the red haired woman from earlier standing right behind him. Her pale blue eyes were narrowed and glittered like shards of ice.

"_Move_," she hissed in a low tone that likely didn't carry any further than Iruka's ears but still contained enough venom to have him jumping out of her way. With a coy smile suddenly taking up her pretty face, the woman sat daintily beside Kakashi, wrapped her arms around one of his, and pouted cutely. "You ran away from me."

Kakashi sighed, Ibiki yawned, and Iruka ignored the urge to walk over and kiss the silver haired man just to wipe the annoying pout off the woman's face. Instead, he turned on his heel, slid his hands into his pockets, and walked through the crowd of glittering socialites muttering quietly, "He's all yours."

**…**

The sound of running water slowly roused Iruka from sleep, the liquor in his system making his thoughts sluggish and his eyelids heavy. The drowsy teacher propped himself up on an elbow and blinked blearily around the room, momentarily confused as to where he was. He pushed his hair from his eyes, tangles snagging on his fingers, and tried to focus his thoughts. Everything in his head was a bit muddled and slow, his limbs heavy and surprisingly relaxed. Obviously, Ibiki's homebrew was catching up with him. Where he'd gone to bed with a warm buzz, he was now feeling more than tipsy but nowhere near the horrible spinning-room level of drunk. He felt rather good.

Light was coming from the partially open bathroom door and a glance at the darkened window told Iruka that it was still night out. He could no longer hear the muted sounds of the party from downstairs. What time was it?

"You alright? You look a bit out of it."

Dark eyes squinted into the bright bathroom light and the tall figure outlined by it.

"Kakashi?" Iruka mumbled, sitting up and trying to get his hair out of his eyes again.

"In the flesh," the older man quipped as he stepped into the bedroom. "Why? Expecting someone else?"

"Umm, no. I don't think so," Iruka answered distractedly as he ran his eyes over the other man.

Kakashi was shirtless, the wrap for his eye gone, and the top button of his jeans undone so that they rode dangerously low on lean hips. The man looked unbelievably sexy and the bemused teacher couldn't for the life of him figure out why he was standing in the room.

"I don't understand. What're you doing here?" Iruka asked, confusion written all over his sleep warmed face as he looked around to make sure he wasn't actually the one in the wrong bedroom and there was a woman about to yell at him to get out.

A frown marred the pale forehead as Kakashi stepped closer to the bed. "Where else would I be?"

Iruka looked down at the blankets covering his legs and pondered the question. His mind was awfully fuzzy and nothing seemed quite real. Where else would Kakashi be?

"With the redhead," he finally answered, looking back to find the larger male studying him silently, "and the blond and, umm, those two other girls, the ones that were giggling."

"There were lots of girls giggling tonight and I'm not sure all those people would fit comfortably on the one bed, ne?" Kakashi's eyes curved as he smiled.

Iruka huffed. "I'm sure you'd make them fit," he said bluntly and rubbed at the scar crossing his nose while giving a sleepy little sniff.

"True," Kakashi chuckled, "but there's a nice big bed right here with only a sweet little teacher taking up space. I figured that with you I could stretch out. Much more comfy, don't you agree?"

"Hmm, I suppose so. Hey," dark eyes snapped up to glare into mismatched ones, "did you just call me little?"

The smile on pale lips turned from placating to teasing. "Maybe."

The glare darkened. "I'm not little."

The teasing smile turned into a leer. "Oh, I know."

"Eh? Then why'd you say it?" Iruka cocked his head to the side, the glare falling away to confusion.

Kakashi chuckled and shook his head, walking to the bed and sitting next to Iruka's legs. The intense watchfulness of his eyes did not match his disarming smile and if Iruka's brain hadn't been effectively befuddled by alcohol, he might have noticed. However, the s_amogon_ had been strong enough to degrease an engine so the teacher's brain cells stood no chance.

The way the light from the bathroom caught the silver hair, making it look incredibly soft, captured Iruka's attention and he reached out. Slim fingers that looked strangely dark against the pale hue slid through gravity defying strands. He was completely oblivious to the mismatched eyes watching his every expression carefully.

"How does it stay up like that?" he mused quietly, trying unsuccessfully to flatten the wayward hair.

"It just always has." Kakashi's tone was low and warm. "Feels good when you do that."

For some reason, the older man's words brought a sharp mental image of long crimson nails running through the silver strands. The memory reminded Iruka that the gorgeous male wasn't supposed to be there with him. Kakashi was supposed to be somewhere else with someone else forgetting he existed. Iruka snatched his hand back and held it to his chest as heat flushed across his scar. He needed to get back on track and get Kakashi out of the room and into bed with someone else. Kakashi was just so distracting; it was too easy to forget and want to touch. Heavens, did he want to touch. It hurt to know he would send the stunning male away to be touched by others. That a strange woman would run her brightly painted nails over Kakashi's superbly muscled physique.

Memories of pale skin flushed with arousal swam through his hazy mind and Iruka squeezed his eyes shut, hoping to dispel the images but only succeeding in making them stronger. Long, lean, stunningly defined muscles and smooth flesh marred by only an occasional scar or the spiralling tattoo, the sinfully sexy smattering of silver hair circling the shallow naval before trailing down to disappear beneath dark jeans.

A shudder ran through the Iruka's thin frame and he started to harden beneath the blankets. Swallowing thickly, he opened is eyes to find the unique and beautiful mismatched orbs pinning him with their assessing gaze. They were such magnificent eyes.

"You should go find the blond or the redhead or, umm…" Iruka trailed off as Kakashi reached out and wrapped a hand around his, which was plucking nervously at the bedding.

"The giggling brunettes," the older man finished for him in a low, gravely tone. "Iruka, if you're trying to convince me to leave this room and sleep with someone else you're going to have to stop looking at me like that."

"Like what?" Iruka asked, his voice slightly breathless. He licked his lips nervously and heat flared in his lower abdomen as Kakashi's gaze drifted down to watch the movement.

"Like you want me."

This was dangerous. The dazed teacher tried to find the words to tell Kakashi he was wrong but his brain was far more interested in the alluring tilt of the thin lips. Lips that Iruka knew could bring unimaginable pleasure, lips that were warm and firm and felt amazing. An elegant hand rose to gently brush calloused fingertips over the edge of the scar crossing his nose. He had no idea where the realisation came from, but Iruka suddenly knew that if he chose to pull away Kakashi would let him go.

_Do I want him to? _Iruka wondered, unsure of himself. _This is my last chance._

It was true, the young sensei realised. They wouldn't be seeing each other again after the boys were released from hospital the next day. This time it was truly final, it would all be over; they'd be going back to their separate lives, completely unrelated existences. Iruka knew that Sasuke hated him being around Kakashi. His young friend had managed to keep them from meeting for years and Sasuke would make sure the opportunity for them to cross paths again would never arise. Iruka knew this was the last opportunity he had to be with the stunning, intelligent, strong, skilled, complicated, and extraordinarily complex man. The unknown and yet somehow achingly familiar stranger that had dropped into his life like an explosion.

For this one, final night the busty blonde, the aggressive redhead, and the giggling brunettes could take a hike. When daylight broke the horizon it would all be over, but until those golden rays chased away the black Hatake Kakashi was _his_.

Without further thought – heaven knew he was sick of over thinking everything – Iruka did exactly what he knew he shouldn't but so desperately wanted to. One night of abandon, fuelled by final chances and some strong liquid courage. One last chance to let go and experience pleasure with someone so far above his level it was almost criminal that he should lay with him.

Kakashi's eyebrows rose in surprise as Iruka grasped hold of his shoulders, slipped from the blankets, and straddled his lap. The thick denim of the older man's jeans teased the bare skin of Iruka's thighs as his legs encircled the stunned businessman. Iruka would have through the situation very amusing if he didn't feel so damn hot. Burying his hands in the thick silver hair, he pulled the gorgeous face to him and kissed the wealthy elite for all he was worth.

Exquisite. Kakashi had always tasted exquisite, smelt exquisite, and felt exquisite. He flowed through Iruka's senses like ambrosia and ignited flames in his core that threatened to burn away all sanity. Large hands grasped tightly onto his hips as the man beneath him sucked in a surprised gasp when Iruka bit roughly at the thin bottom lip. Pushing his body against the larger frame, chest to chest, groin to groin, the teacher slipped his tongue into Kakashi's mouth and a deep growl rumbled from the larger male's chest.

Arms wrapped around his back and pressed him even closer. Iruka could feel the powerful muscles tensing against his ribs and it both excited and frightened him. One hand released its harsh grip on the silver hair and ran over the broad expanse of the pale back. Smooth, hot skin and hard muscle slid under his palm and Iruka wanted to feel more, needed to feel more.

It took a bit to loosen Kakashi's hold and wrestle his mouth away, but once he had enough room to move, Iruka did something he never thought he would in his lifetime. The badly scarred man grabbed hold of his old t-shirt and yanked it over his head, voluntarily exposing his damaged back to sight and touch as he tossed the garment to the floor. The sensation of eyes watching him had Iruka searching out Kakashi's gaze and his mouth ran dry when he found it.

The grey and red eyes were narrowed, hard, and swirling with lust. They were so hot that the grey was molten and the crimson burned. Iruka felt his temperature spike a couple more degrees and his skin flushed under the intense gaze. There was a little embarrassment but mostly it was pure arousal.

Grabbing hold of the silver hair again – Iruka was awfully fond of that bizarre hair – he tilted Kakashi's head forcefully and crushed their lips together with more force than he'd intended. He had little idea what he was doing and only a vague idea how to do it, but Iruka knew he wanted this man and wanted him _now_. As the corded arms wrapped around him again, large hands ran unabashedly over his horribly scarred skin. The flash of nervousness that managed to break through his lust haze was drowned in desire a moment later as a tongue forcefully invaded his mouth and showed Iruka exactly how inexperienced he really was.

What felt like an obscenely loud moan tore from Iruka's throat as the larger male took charge. The talented tongue caressed his with mind-altering finesse, leaving Iruka shaken and breathless. Just as he became needy for oxygen, long fingers tangled in his hair and his head was pulled back, exposing his throat. The hot tongue that had made him mindless moments ago dragged up the length of his windpipe. A choked, embarrassingly desperate groan fell from Iruka's lips and the sound had Kakashi growling as sharp teeth scraped over his thundering pulse point.

With a growl of his own, Iruka dug his short nails into the hard right bicep, just below the swirling tattoo, and his hair was released. Using his grip on the silver strands, he tilted the stunning man's head to the side and licked the shell of a pale ear teasingly before dropping his mouth to a broad shoulder. Without any thought or warning, Iruka latched onto the ivory skin with his teeth, over the dark mark he'd made only the day before, and bucked his hips. Kakashi hissed sharply at the double stimuli as Iruka's cloth covered erection pressed hard against a large, denim-clad bulge. It felt fantastic and Iruka did it again, moaning loudly against the bruised skin beneath his lips.

"_Fuck_."

The sharp curse was all the warning the slight brunette had before he was flipped to the side, landing on the soft mattress with a bounce. Iruka didn't even have time to gasp before a much larger body covered him and his wrists were pinned on either side of his head by frighteningly strong hands. Shocked brown eyes locked with the mismatched pair glaring at him so fiercely it was amazing they didn't burn a hole through his head.

"Be very careful how far you push my control, Iruka." Kakashi growled out the warning and it caused electric pulses of trepidation and desire to thrum trough the teacher's body like electricity. Gods, his head was such a swirl of conflicting wants he could barely think.

"Shut up and get your pants off, Kakashi."

Was that his voice? The voice that had just said those completely crazy and provocative words with such husky demand? It must have been because the mismatched eyes had widened considerably in surprise. Apparently, his libido hadn't quite caught up with his danger sensor and his mouth sure as hell wasn't in sync with his brain!

"Better yet, let go of my wrists and I'll take them off for you."

That proved it, he had a screw loose and his brain and his mouth were no longer in communication with each other. Iruka found himself grinning crazily up at the surprised man hovering over him. He had no freaking idea what he was playing at but damned if it wasn't fun putting that shocked expression on Kakashi's face.

"You…" Kakashi began uncertainly before his eyes narrowed and the attractive lips curled back to show a flash of fang. "Ah fuck it."

Iruka's wrists were released, their mouths met again, and the teacher instantly got to work ridding Kakashi of his remaining clothes. He had no idea how it was accomplished or who actually shucked the jeans, but finally one of his hands was clamped on an angular hip and the other had a nice firm grip on an utterly superb arse. Iruka was pulling Kakashi to him, thrusting his hips up to rub against the long, hard erection pressing against his groin and belly. The fabric of his boxer shorts rubbed between them creating a friction that was both infuriating and sensitising. While he wanted to feel bare skin against bare skin, Iruka didn't want to let go long enough to do what was necessary to achieve that end.

Kakashi, however, had no such qualms. He wanted the hot little teacher naked and the sooner the better. He pulled away and smirked as Iruka growled in protest. For all Iruka's feigned indifference towards him during the evening, it was obvious that the young man had been as wanting for Kakashi's touch as Kakashi was for his. It had shown in a hundred little ways that night, shown in how the intelligent dark eyes had followed him at the party and narrowed whenever a woman got too close. Later, when he'd held the smaller man against him by the pool and Iruka had leaned into him rather than pulling away, Kakashi had been startled at the strength of his relief.

"Trust me, sweetheart, I'm not going far." Kakashi stalked across the room to where he'd tossed his bag and pulled a slender tube from one of the side pockets. When he'd tossed the lubricant in that afternoon before leaving to pick Iruka up from the hospital, he hadn't been sure if he would be given a chance to use it. He was glad he'd packed it just in case.

Iruka's mouth went dry as he watched that perfect arse move away from him. Silent, even walking across the room Kakashi was almost completely silent. The barest scuff of footfalls on the carpet reached his ears and Iruka knew that was only because Kakashi wasn't trying to be stealthy. He rested on his elbows and watched the play of muscle beneath pale skin as the older man retrieved something from his bag. As curious as Iruka was regarding what the businessman was holding, he found his full attention riveted on Kakashi's physique. Mouth dry to filling with saliva in a split second, Iruka gulped and felt heat bloom across his cheeks. Gods, the man was magnificent.

"Take it off," Kakashi ordered in a low, husky voice and the incredible eyes gazed pointedly at Iruka's last vestige of cover.

The teacher's cock hardened further at the older man's commanding tone even as shyness flooded through him and his blush darkened. Kakashi stood comfortable and shameless in his nudity, but when a man looked as Kakashi did why wouldn't he? Iruka, on the other hand, well, he was as he was and under no illusions about it.

"Iruka," Kakashi moistened his lips and gave a slow, devious, devastatingly sexy smile, "take it off."

Iruka's hands were moving before his brain fully registered the action. He lay back and closed his eyes as he lifted bony hips and pushed the cheap cotton shorts down his thighs. There was a strange sort of appreciative rumble from Kakashi and Iruka slitted his eyes open to see the older man watching him with an expression that burned away all his self-consciousness. The larger male was staring intently with a light flush colouring his high cheekbones and his mouth set in a firm line. Kakashi was holding himself back, Iruka could tell from the way the powerful frame was all tensed, hard muscle that shifted in small twitches. It made Iruka want to break that control and tease.

The young sensei had always had a mischievous streak and with the alcohol dulling his sense of propriety, Iruka decided to indulge it. Kicking the boxers to the floor, Iruka's lips curved into a languorous smile. His eyes were heavily lidded and muscles loose from sleep and drink, his hard length rested against his belly, and the long mahogany hair was spread across the dark coverlet in a messy sprawl. The orphanage sensei had no idea the affect he was having on the elite businessman.

"Are you going to stand there all night?" Iruka asked with a cheeky glint in his eyes. "Am I going to have to go with your earlier suggestion and find someone else to 'curl up with'?"

It was a step too far. Kakashi was across the room and kneeling over Iruka in a heartbeat, mismatched eyes narrowed, and anger edging the lust that swirled in the darkened depths.

"Try it, sweetheart." The endearment held as much threat as affection. "I'll gut any bastard that dares touch you."

Iruka's breath quickened at the quietly intensity behind the words, as if Kakashi meant everything he said. A shiver skittered down his spine even as he reached up to skim his fingers lightly over the older man's hips. He gasped as a hand slid beneath him, between his shoulder blades, and he was tugged upwards so they were nose to nose. Iruka's hands took a firm hold of Kakashi's waist and his eyes were wide with surprise at larger male's effortless strength.

"You think I wasn't watching tonight? You think I let you out of my sight for even a second? I was watching as that _Decon Cartermain_ approached you, I saw how you flinched away from him when he touched you." Warm breath smelling of minty toothpaste ghosted over Iruka's lips as Kakashi leaned closer to whisper against them. "The only reason that man still has the use of his hand is because Ibiki intervened."

Iruka trembled at the dark words, simultaneously aroused and frightened. "Kakas-"

The older man caught his bottom lip gently between sharp teeth, causing Iruka's words to stumble to a halt. A hot tongue swept across the captured skin before it was released and they were both slowly lowering to the mattress, Kakashi's lips brushing his jaw.

"But, you don't flinch from me. You lean into my touch, want more of it. Don't you, sensei?"

The tongue was back and stroking over the pulse beating erratically beneath cinnamon skin. Iruka rolled his head to the side, exposing his throat to the talented mouth and expressing more in body language than he ever could verbally.

"That's right." The words were purred against his skin before teeth closed around the point gently, so gently. All Kakashi's touches were gentle and dramatically contradictory to his hard tone. Callous roughened fingertips skimmed down Iruka's outer thigh to hook under his knee and pull it up around the larger man's waist. The same move was repeated on the other side and Iruka found himself crossing his ankles against the curve of Kakashi's backside.

"You're mine, sweetheart. You may not want to admit it but you are mine. I could slick my fingers, stretch you open, and fuck you into this mattress until sunset tomorrow, and you'll love every minute of it. Beg for more." Kakashi's began to move against him, his hips pressing slowly and infuriatingly gently against him, brushing their erections together in a smooth slide.

Iruka's arms had locked around Kakashi's back in a death grip, his eyes wide and shocked at the man's words as he stared blindly at the ceiling. His breathing was a harried mess, his limbs tense and slightly trembling. Kakashi's words were true and he knew it. The incredible man had such a way with him that Iruka became almost helpless under his touch. Kakashi knew him too well. Knew that he wouldn't run from the hard words because of the gentle touches, knew that Iruka was desperate for the pleasure of that touch, the close human contact without pain. Desperate to be wanted despite… everything.

"They can't touch you, you won't let them. _I_ won't let them. But you let me. You want me." Goose bumps broke out over his skin as the hot tongue slid across the shell of his ear.

The words were sobering and the truth of them hit the stunned teacher right in the chest. Again, Kakashi was right and Iruka hated him a little for it. Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, the smaller man released the tension from his muscles. His arms unlocked and he slid his hands soothingly up the ridges of Kakashi's spine until he could frame his face. As the gorgeous male stilled and drew back slightly to look at him in question, the young teacher smoothed the remarkable silver hair from unique eyes and took a moment just to look. Kakashi was beautiful; there was no two ways about it. Beautiful, brilliant, infuriating, and unfathomably complex.

"You're right," Iruka said and smiled warmly in a way that had the man above him catching his breath. "I do want you. I don't want anyone else touching me; I don't trust anyone else to touch me. But, I trust you not to physically hurt me," _though mentally's another matter_, "and I want you. Just not like this." He smoothed his thumb over the other man's cheek. "It's too dark, too controlled. I want to see you relaxed, pleasured, calm. Not strained like this. Please?"

Iruka couldn't have interpreted the look Kakashi was giving him if he tried, but it was something frighteningly akin to wonderment. It was only visible for a moment before the silver head dropped and with a long sigh Kakashi's body went completely lax on top of him, incredibly heavy and pinning Iruka to the bed. It was such an unexpected reaction that Iruka was starting to panic – more because Kakashi had just reacted like that than for being pinned – before he heard the older man mutter into the bedding, "I've been defeated."

"What?" Iruka partially wheezed out. Kakashi was very heavy.

The larger male levered himself up onto his elbows and grinned like a helpless fool at the bewildered and very worried man beneath him. A quick kiss was dropped on Iruka's full lips before Kakashi rolled off him and flopped onto his back. Iruka instantly scrambled to a half sitting position and stared down at the smiling man. While that grin was causing his stomach to do some very impressive flips, Iruka wasn't quite sure what to make of the situation and it was freaking him out.

"Did I just break you?" he asked warily and jumped when Kakashi let out a loud bark of appreciative laughter.

"In so many ways," the larger man chuckled and reached up to brush his fingers over the dark mark he'd made on Iruka's neck only a few days earlier. "Ok, where do you want me?"

Now Iruka was completely lost. "What?"

"I'm giving up control," Kakashi said and ran his fingers through the long, soft hair above him. "I want to do this your way."

Iruka looked at him like he'd lost his mind. "I don't have a way," he said flatly.

Kakashi hooked his hand around the back of Iruka's neck and pulled him down into a kiss that had his erection surging back to life.

"Then let's find one together," Kakashi murmured when they eventually parted.

"Yeah," Iruka agreed breathlessly, his mind whirling from the fantastic kiss, "good idea. We'll start by doing that again."

He swallowed Kakashi's chuckle as he pressed their lips together and became lost in the sensation brought by the talented tongue. When they finally parted for air again, Iruka was flushed, panting, and desperate for better access.

"C'mere," he half slurred around his heavy breaths before gaining proper control over his voice again. "Sit up against the pillows."

Kakashi didn't need to be told twice and shifted his body around in a way that had Iruka groaning under his breath to watch. As the powerful frame reclined comfortably against the pillows, Iruka needed to take a moment to steady his heart, which was valiantly trying to beat its way out of his chest. He knew exactly what he wanted to do to that body and the idea of it had him both nervous and giddy. He had a memory he needed corrected and this was his last chance to do so.

Kakashi had barely settled back against the pillows when Iruka dropped to his elbows, took hold of his cock, and licked a wet line from root to tip.

"Fuck!" Kakashi bit out in surprise as his whole body jerked. It had been _years_ since someone had managed to surprise him like that and he'd put a bullet between the man's eyes for it. Then again, that had been war and this… oh, this was as far from war as you could get.

Iruka wasted no time putting his mouth to work, licking across the head with rough, flat strokes that had the older man's thighs twitching and a hand fisting in his long hair. He pulled back for a second to look up and check he was doing all right. It was only his second time after all.

"You ok?"

"God no, so not ok," Kakashi groaned in response and Iruka's stomach clenched into a nervous knot.

"What'd I do?" he asked worriedly.

The gorgeous face split into a fond smile as eyes full of desire and amusement looked into his. "You stopped."

It took Iruka a second to process that before he flashed a grin at the stunning male laid out for him like a feast. "Don't you dare hold back like you did this morning," he ordered before dropping his head again.

He wet his lips and sucked the blushing head of Kakashi's cock into his mouth. The moan that the older man let out was only small but went through Iruka like a lightning bolt. He repeated everything he'd tried that morning and anything else he could think of that might feel good. Clumsy, inexperienced, and very enthusiastic, he was determined to coax as many sounds as possible from the experienced man. Kakashi, just as Iruka had ordered him, wasn't holding back. He wasn't loud like Iruka; he didn't cry out but instead released low, throaty groans, moans, and growls that worked Iruka up in such a way that he was almost shaking with excitement. Especially the growls.

"Stop," Kakashi suddenly ordered in a deep tone so full of authority that Iruka instantly pulled back, frightened he'd just messed up somehow.

When Iruka looked at the larger man, though, his mind emptied and he let out a long moan. Kakashi was flushed and a little sweaty, he was smiling in the most satisfied way, and his grey eye was so dilated it was almost swallowed by black. Strangely, the pupil of the red eye didn't dilate and Iruka had no doubt that if it was anyone else they would have looked demented. Kakashi just looked like sinful temptation personified.

"Don't want to come yet," Kakashi revealed and Iruka was gratified to hear the breathlessness of the deep voice.

"You had me worried," he chided good naturedly as he straddled Kakashi again. "I thought I'd hurt you."

"Never." Kakashi smiled softly in the way that was for Iruka alone and he wrapped a large hand around the back of the shorter man's neck, drawing him closer. "You're too gentle for that." Their lips met briefly in a kiss that would have been chaste if their erections hadn't been rubbing together wetly. "There's something I want to do to you."

A warm hand grasped hold of Iruka's backside and a slick finger ran down the seam between his cheeks to rub against the tight, puckered opening. At any other time, Iruka would have been horrified for yelping the way he did just then, but under the circumstances he readily excused himself the reaction. He hadn't even realised he'd reached behind and grasped hold of Kakashi's wrist until he wondered why he was suddenly twisted at a strange angle. Kakashi's other hand was still on the back of his neck and holding him steady.

"Y-you want to… there?"

"Oh yes." Kakashi grinned at him in such a knowing way, as if he held the greatest of secrets in his hand and was willing to share. "I've wanted to do this since I saw your tight arse bent over the ticket counter in Tokyo."

Brown eyes were huge as they stared at the devious grin directed at him. "I- no, I'm really not sure t-this is, umm, why do you even want to? I'm sure there's nothing of interest up th-_there_ and it's not exactly clean and… why are you looking at me like that?"

Kakashi's grin had fallen away to disbelief. "Wait, you don't know?"

"Don't know what?" Iruka demanded, more than mildly flustered.

"About the prostate," Kakashi said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"I know about the prostate!" Iruka snapped. "I am a teacher."

The speculative look he received for that was not encouraging. He glared back and tightened his grip around the other man's wrist.

"I know, alright! It's a gland that produces an alkaline fluid used for-"

"Dear gods, you really don't know." The devious smile was back and wider than ever.

"I'm trying to tell you that I do. It-"

He was cut off by Kakashi yanking him forwards into a kiss that stole his breath. When it ended, Iruka had to blink a few times to refocus.

"You're so damned innocent it almost kills me," Kakashi breathed against his lips.

"What?"

The finger still resting against his opening began rubbing in slow circles making Iruka swallow thickly and arch away. Kakashi's hand just moved with him.

"Why do you think I keep talking about it? Why do you think I've been so eager to get inside you? Let me," the more experienced man murmured. "Please, let me show you."

It was obvious there was something here Iruka was seriously missing. He still didn't like the idea much – seemed damn strange to him – but the way Kakashi was asking, the way he'd spoken of it before, made Iruka wonder what it was all about. But, he had some serious concerns.

"Kakashi, I know you don't need your ego inflated anymore but you're seriously big. That thing is not going to fit inside me."

The mismatched eyes closed as Kakashi released a throaty moan and the large erection twitched. "God, just the thought," he sighed before opening his eyes again and smiling reassuringly. "It will – and you'll love it – just not tonight. There's no way I can prepare you enough with only one sitting and not have it hurt, we'll have to do it _slowly_ over _days_." The leer Iruka was gifted with had his blood heating in his veins. "But, for now we'll start small." The finger was rubbing against him again. "Let me show you."

"This is stupid," Iruka muttered but he released his tight hold on the pale wrist.

"This is going to be great," Kakashi assured with a grin. "Now just relax. Take a deep breath, let it out, and relax your muscles like you did last night, remember?" Even with everything they had been doing, Iruka still blushed at the memory and Kakashi groaned at the sight. "You really are one of a kind."

"Shut up," Iruka griped. "It's not my fault if nothing happens."

Kakashi laughed at that. "Ru, if nothing happens I will accept full responsibility. It'll be entirely my fault."

Iruka looked at the grinning man like he was out of his mind before shaking his head and giving in. Taking a deep breath as instructed, he let it out and relaxed his muscles, focusing especially on the ones around where Kakashi wanted to enter.

"That's it, open for me," Kakashi murmured against his skin and pressed a kiss to his neck. He was circling his finger and spreading something slick.

"What is that?" Iruka asked, taking another deep breath.

"Lubricant. I got it from my bag earlier." The finger kept circling, the pad pushing slightly firmer against the ring.

"Why are you…"

"To soften it, help it loosen. If you just go forcing in there it'll only hurt and I won't hurt you."

The words were punctuated with another gentle kiss against his throat and did more to reassure Iruka than he'd like to admit. After a minute or so, there was a change to the pressure again and Kakashi's finger pressed a little further into the tight opening. Nerve ending fired up and the sensation was unlike anything Iruka had experienced before, sending small shivers up his spine.

"Umm…"

"Shhh, just relax."

He felt kind of ridiculous doing nothing while another man played with his anus but followed Kakashi's instructions. He'd wait it out until the older man got bored and then they could get back to doing more fun stuff. The tip of Kakashi's finger slid all the way inside and Iruka gasped at the sensation. It felt… good. Surprisingly. Not mind blowing but certainly sensitive and more than nice. Slowly, Kakashi worked his finger inside, thrusting it gently in small movements and Iruka squirmed with each little dip, especially when the second knuckle slid in.

Kakashi kept peppering kisses along his neck, shoulder, jaw, and face. Taking his mouth at times but not kissing deeply, more lips than tongue. He seemed to want to make sure Iruka could breathe freely and regularly. He murmured small endearments into his skin interspersed with reminders to "Relax." Iruka was surprised when Kakashi pulled his hand completely free and added a bit more lubricant to it from a slender tube sitting next to him on the bed. When Kakashi reached around again, his finger slid in easily and Iruka gasped and arch slightly into the sensation. It really did feel good and he told Kakashi as such, willing to admit he was wrong.

"Oh, sweetheart, this is nothing."

The finger started squirming around a little and all of a sudden brushed lightly against something that had Iruka's eyes widening and his body tensing up in surprise. That had felt different. Kakashi stilled his hand and hummed low and gravely in his throat with satisfaction. He leaned forward with a smirk on his lips and brushed a kiss to Iruka's mouth. Resting back against the pillows, the older man looked both excited and decidedly smug.

"I can't wait to see how you're going to react to this."

Iruka gave him a wary look and the finger moved again, pressing harder against that same spot. Iruka's eyes shot wide, his back arched, and he sucked in a loud gasp as his hands flew up to grip Kakashi's shoulders tightly.

"Wh-what?" he stammered and had the crazy urge to punch the smug leer off Kakashi's handsome face.

"That," the finger pressed again and Iruka couldn't hold in his shocked choke of pleasure, "is the prostate."

"I-it's not supposed to- _nngh_! Oh _fuck_!"

His back curled until his forehead was resting against Kakashi's shoulder as shocks of intense pleasure shot through his body from that one little spot. Kakashi was ruthless. He pressed against and circled the spot, dragging his finger over it or pulling back a little to thrust against it. There was no rhythm to his ministrations and it was driving Iruka insane. His erection – which had flagged a little in nervousness when they'd been arguing over the purpose of the prostate – was back in full force and throbbing against the pale, defined stomach. Trembles ran all over his thin body and he shuddered helplessly against the arm Kakashi had wrapped around him to hold him in place.

"So damn responsive." A growl was all the warning Iruka got before teeth caught his neck and his skin was sucked.

If Iruka had been more in control of his mental facilities, he would have realised that the area Kakashi had latched onto was right next to where he was already bruised. He would have also realised that the silver haired man was well on his way to creating a new mark of possession. All the dazed teacher knew at that stage, however, was that it felt amazing and kept dragging helpless cries from him. A pale hand grasped one of the smaller tanned ones clenched in silver hair and guided it to Kakashi's neglected hardness.

"Touch me," Kakashi groaned against the quickly forming mark and Iruka's hand began moving without thought. Kakashi's response was a drawn out moan that had Iruka's other hand coming down to assist. The teacher managed to gather his wits enough to grab the tube from amongst the pillows, squeeze it a little too tightly and spill a good amount of lubricant out, and smear it over Kakashi's cock before getting back to work. He was rewarded with a particularly loud groan and a forceful grind against his prostate.

Iruka was rocking his hips back against Kakashi's hand while both of his worked messily, uncoordinated, and clumsy on Kakashi's erection. A part of him felt sorry for the experienced man having to put up with his flailing attempts, but Kakashi seemed to be enjoying himself regardless. They moved together, pants, moans, and cries filling the air between them when they weren't sharing desperate, messy kisses. How long it went on for Iruka had no idea but he did eventually register the tightening in his lower abdomen, the coiling intensity in his groin, and what it meant.

"Ka-_aaah_! Oh hells, Kakashi! I-I'm close."

Kakashi drew back with startled eyes from where he'd been lapping at Iruka's nipple. "You are?"

"Yes!" Iruka embarrassingly yelled as he rocked back just in time to meet a thrust from the long finger.

A little bit of come splattered from him onto Kakashi's stomach and he would have blushed if he wasn't so preoccupied with trying to hold on just a little longer. Kakashi noticed the small spasm, though, and his eyes narrowed as his grip on Iruka's hip tightened. The smaller man watched with hazed eyes as Kakashi's gorgeous features darkened into something feral and lustful. The finger started grinding harder and faster and the sensation had goose bumps breaking out all over his body, his nipples tightening to tingling nubs.

"I swear to all the higher powers, Iruka," Kakashi panted out and started thrusting unconsciously into the hands sliding over his erection, "if you come from just one goddamn finger I will not be held responsible for-"

Iruka's back arched like a bow and a great shudder ran through his thin frame. He managed to choke out something that might have been Kakashi's name in a ragged voice before releasing a loud keen that escalated to a scream as he came so fucking _hard_.

There was a harsh curse from Kakashi and a hand wrapped around one of his on the other man's erection, pumping furiously. Even during his orgasm, Iruka registered the pulses under his palm and the hot wetness that coated his fingers, heard Kakashi's voice growling over and over again, "Fuck, fuck, fuck."

Then he was trembling and leaning against the broad, sweat and semen streaked chest. A wet hand wrapped around his back, holding him tight even as the other still had a finger buried inside him. Gently, Kakashi pressed against his prostate a few more times; causing tired tremors of pleasure to curl through his groin.

"Enough," Iruka panted out, the words barely more than breaths, and the finger within stilled and was carefully withdrawn.

"Have mercy," groaned the deep, breathless voice from above and inexplicably it made Iruka start to laugh in quiet gasping chuckles.

Iruka righted himself, sitting back on the Kakashi's thighs with a dazed grin.

"That was…" he drifted off breathlessly.

"You're not kidding," Kakashi agreed with his own grin.

Iruka looked down at the state they were in and grimaced. "We're a mess."

"So worth it," the older man chuckled from his slumped position amongst the pillows.

Kakashi looked fantastic; sweaty, flushed, and undeniably satiated. Gorgeous. Iruka burned the image into his memory and knew it was going to stay with him long after they parted ways the following day. Hot on the heels of that thought was a horrifying realisation.

"Oh shit! You don't think anyone heard us, do you?" the teacher asked, eyes snapping to the door as a dark blush spread across his already pink cheeks.

"Sweetheart, I sincerely hope they did." The grin on Kakashi's face was so lazily smug and attractive that Iruka couldn't bring himself to want to smack it off.

Instead, he muttered "Arse." and allowed Kakashi to pull him into a slow, lingering kiss.

"Come on," hands nudged Iruka to move and he climbed wobbly off the bed, "let's grab a shower. I'll wash your back for you."

The idea of that didn't make Iruka cringe anymore and that surprised him even more than the pleasure he had just experienced. He smiled up at the taller man as Kakashi stood and held out a mess covered hand for him in an invitation he accepted without hesitation.

"Okay."

* * *

**AN: Yes, another update without the six month waiting period. Try not to faint.**

**I can't tell you how much fun I had reading your reviews for the last chapter. It was great to see all the different ideas about what you think will happen in this chapter, especially since I'd already partially written it.**

**What I wanted to achieve from this chapter – in particular, from the sex – was a power play situation. I wanted the power to shift back and forth between them, both taking it in their own way before having it snatched back by the other, and finally the power becoming equal between them. Neither in control, both just being together and finding pleasure.**

**Now, you may think this chapter has very little purpose but I can honestly say that this is likely to be one of the most important chapters in the story if it goes the way I think it might (unless my muse changes its mind **_**again**_**) so I hope you enjoyed it!**

**I'm asking for you to tell me about your favourite bit of this chapter, I love hearing people's favourite lines or sections! I'll share mine first:**

Kakashi rested his chin on Iruka's shoulder, leaning his head against the brunette's. "Save me, Iruka. I'm being objectified."

**The idea of that coming out of this Kakashi's mouth cracks me up and I rearranged five pages of text just so he could say it. Please hit the review button and share with me. Until next time, thanks for reading!**

**P.S: New fanart and a link to a story I've not posted on this site called **_**Alley Cats Club**_** is now up in my bio.**


	10. Chapter 10

Hello, hello, my lovely readers!

Please be advised that _FanFiction_ is doing a purge of their explicit rating stories and I have no doubt that most of mine – especially _Stranger Situations_ – are about to be deleted off their system. Because of this, tomorrow I will be moving all my fics from this site to my _Archive of our Own _("AO3" for short) account. You can find a link to my AO3 in my bio so please come and visit me there!

I'll take this opportunity to give you a quick update on _Stranger Situations_' progress. I'm half way through the next chapter and it's coming along nicely. Kakashi and Iruka are being difficult because they're refusing to get down to more serious business and are far more interested in getting each other's pants off! Cheeky boys they are.

Anyway, my most heartfelt thanks to Mel's Merleawe and LadyCaelum for the heads up waring regarding _FanFiction_'s purge! Thanks so much, girls xx

Love to all,

Dark


	11. Checking Out

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I'm not even sure I own my brain sometimes.**

**AN: As always, a big thank you to my delightful editor Sal for reading through and getting this chapter back to me within a few days. Awesome work, Sal mate! And another big thank you to the darling Lenap for providing translations for Russian!Ibiki. Inspiration to you, my talented friend!**

**Since I seem to have survived the purge (so far) I'll be deleting the notice I set up a few weeks ago notifying my move and this chapter will drop back into its rightful place. I'll do it in a few days because it's almost midnight and I'm freaking tired! But I promised I'd have this chapter up today and... well it's 20 mins until midnight so it's still technically today!  
**

…

**Stranger Situations**

**Chapter 10: Checking Out**

"Morning," Kakashi said as he wandered into the kitchen. "Is that coffee I smell?"

"Indeed it is. Still take it black?" Kurenai asked as she pulled a clean mug from a cupboard.

"As sin," Kakashi confirmed, leaning against the kitchen island next to Anko. The small Chinese woman was sitting on the counter top wearing nothing but a singlet, tiny lace knickers, and a scowl. She slumped against him with a tired groan as soon as he was within leaning range. Kakashi pressed a kiss to her hair and supported her weight easily as Kurenai handed him a steaming mug. "Mmm, thank you, dear. How'd you sleep?"

"Well enough if not enough. The little one decided that six o'clock was a great time to start practicing its kickboxing against my bladder and refused to settle again."

Though she was obviously in need of more sleep, Kurenai spoke with a small, fond smile and rested a hand protectively over her protruding stomach.

"It? Haven't you caved and found out if you're having a boy or girl yet?" Kakashi asked before taking a sip of the richly fragrant coffee.

"Nope, it's going to be a surprise. It's too easy now-a-days to know everything about your baby before it's even taken its first breath. There has to be _some_ mystery left in the miracle of birth, some anticipation."

"The anticipation of labour pain isn't enough?" Kakashi smirked.

"Oh please, I'm a traditionalist not an idiot. It will be drugs all the way."

"Smart girl. And what about you, hmm?" He scratched Anko's chaotic bed head gently. "Why're you up so early?"

Anko groaned and swatted at Kakashi's hand. "F'ck off. Gimme y'coffee 'n shuddup."

Kakashi grinned and gulped at his drink before pressing the half full mug into Anko's hand, which greedily snatched it away.

"Mr. GQ Magazine turned out to be less than Prince Charming, apparently. Anko's just finished tossing him out," Kurenai said.

"Oh?" Kakashi glanced down at Anko's knuckles. They weren't even red. Whatever the guy had done it hadn't been bad enough that Anko felt the need to smack him around so. "Did he turn into a pumpkin at midnight?"

"I hate you," Anko growled at Kakashi and gulped down some of his coffee, blanched in disgust, and shoved the mug back into his hand. "And I hate the way you take your coffee. What kind of a person doesn't want sugar with their caffeine at this time of the morning? You're abnormal." She plonked her head back onto Kakashi's shoulder with an angry grumble of, "Bitch."

Kakashi and Kurenai shared a smile at Anko being her usual sunny morning self and dutifully ignored her.

"You're up earlier than I thought you'd be. Asuma's still snoring his head off and we've yet to see Genma or Ibiki," Kurenai said while fetching the coffee pot.

"I need to get back to San Francisco at a respectable time this morning."

"So, what happened to Iruka last night?" Kurenai asked a little too casually as she topped up Kakashi's cup and her own. "Genma mentioned that he put you both in the same room."

"I did, worst bloody mistake," Genma muttered as he stumbled into the kitchen, stretching his arms over his head and yawing wide enough that they heard his jaw click. "I'll tell you what fuckin' happened to Iruka last night. This shit stick here-" Genma punched Kakashi in the shoulder, jostling Anko enough that she growled in annoyance and shot a death glare at Genma from between tangled clumps of hair, "-fucked the little guy til he screamed loud enough that I heard it clear in my room down the hall, then did a repeat performance about ten minutes ago. Not the worst wake up I've ever had but buggering fuck, man, it's _early_."

"The sun's up," Kakashi said with a cocky grin as Genma stole Kurenai's coffee and received a smack on the back of his head for his trouble.

"It's arse o'clock in the morning and you're a cock jockey," Genma sniped and Kakashi barked a laugh at the insult. He couldn't say he'd ever been called that before.

As Genma rummaged around fixing himself a coffee after Kurenai liberated hers from his grasp, something Genma said clicked in Kakashi's head and his smile shifted into a smirk. "Why so upset that you heard Iruka getting off last night?"

All of them knew that Genma didn't discriminate with who he bedded and it wasn't the first time one of them had made a partner scream within hearing distance, or screamed themselves. That kind of thing was impossible to avoid when operating in a close knit team for years. Hell, Kakashi knew exactly what all his friends sounded like during sex and he'd never screwed any of them.

Genma glared at him over his shoulder from where he was rummaging around in the fridge and muttered, "Fuck off."

Kakashi chuckled darkly as Kurenai and Anko looked between the two men with increasing interest.

"I'm missing something here," Kurenai said and Anko nodded her agreement.

"It's too early to decipher man-speak, but I smell blood in the water. What're you getting at?" she demanded and jabbed Kakashi in the ribs.

Kakashi just continued smirking and Genma's glower darkened.

"Seriously, Cyclops, shut the fuck up," the Australian muttered and the women's interest rose another notch.

"Share," they both demanded at the same time as Genma growled, "I will hurt you."

"You know, there are doctors who can help you with that," Kakashi said with smug casualness and Anko gasped in realisation before starting to cackle evilly.

"Aww, who was the unfortunate lady?" Anko asked with a grin that was all fangs. "It's not a race, you know."

Kurenai let out an inelegant cackle of laughter as she caught on. Genma banged his head against the fridge door and muttered, "I hate you," to the room in general.

"_Dobroe ytro_," came Ibiki's thick accent as he entered the kitchen.

Various greetings were voiced from the rest of the group, Genma's less than enthusiastic as he stirred sugar into his coffee more aggressively than necessary.

"Coffee?" Kurenai offered.

Ibiki slipped his hand into his back pocket and pulled out his battered flask, answering, "Dog hair."

"Hair of the dog," Anko corrected him absently for what had to be the millionth time since they'd met and Ibiki shrugged uncaringly as he leaned against the counter.

"Why the frowning?" Ibiki asked Genma and before the Australian could answer him, Kakashi grinned and said, "Remember Brussels?"

"Which time?"

"Zinneke '97."

"Still?" Ibiki raised an incredulous eyebrow and Genma snarled.

"Fucking twice! Twice in my whole damn life and _oh fuck you_!" he snapped as Kakashi started laughing. "I'm getting my workout early today. Get your arse out back."

"You know, not everything has to happen early," Kakashi replied with a smirk before gulping down the rest of his coffee and moving towards the double patio doors.

"There is little blue pill that will-" Ibiki started with his own smirk and Genma deliberately shouldered him on his way past.

"You're next, Smirnoff," Genma growled and trailed Kakashi out to the back yard.

…

"I'm going to kill him," Iruka growled as he looked at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. Iruka's not entirely sure how to go about killing someone with the training and experience Kakashi had, but he would manage it somehow. By all things violent and painful, he would manage it!

If Iruka had thought that the bruise on his neck was big the day before, it was nothing compared its size that morning. Well, that wasn't entirely accurate. Technically there were two hickies on his neck; they were just so close together it looked like one, large, dementedly shaped mark. If that wasn't infuriating enough, there was no way Iruka would be able to hide it anymore! It was too high up his neck for a collar to completely cover and that's if Iruka had had any clean collared shirts left. As it was, he was down to t-shirts and last night had shown that leaving his hair loose was insufficient for shielding the bruising from view.

Conclusion: Kakashi was a dead man.

When Naruto saw the mark he wasn't going to be anywhere near as discrete as Sasuke. Iruka's little brother was going to flip out and Iruka would be lucky if the whole hospital didn't know by the end of _that _conversation. No doubt Sasuke was going to be less than impressed as well. Sasuke had been furious when the hickey was half the size! Damn Kakashi and his stupid, sucky mouth!

Thoughts of the infuriating man's mouth instantly brought up memories of how Iruka had been woken that morning. The young teacher had been dragged from a blissfully dreamless sleep with a ragged moan as wet heat and fierce suction enveloped his cock. Iruka had opened dazed, dark eyes to the view of mismatched eyes watching him intently between strands of silver hair as Kakashi's talented mouth swallowed him down to the root. The sight had hit Iruka's libido like a sledge hammer and he was arching up and coming with a shout before he'd even fully woken.

Kakashi had drunk Iruka down and kept working him gently; only pulling off once Iruka was shifting away and moaning from over stimulation. Iruka was gasping in air and lying boneless on the soft mattress, trembling with the aftershocks of such a fast and sharp orgasm. With a low hum of satisfaction, Kakashi moved up the bed and murmured into a small, cinnamon ear, "Good morning."

"Nngh," Iruka grunted back as teeth scraped over his neck, setting off a deep, delicious ache.

Kakashi had eased off the bed and left Iruka lying there dazed and flushed with a flippant, "We need to leave for the airport in an hour or so. I'll be downstairs when you're ready."

Iruka's reply to that had been a very muddled, "Eh?" to the closing door.

With a sharp tug, Iruka pulled his t-shirt over his head and scowled at the way the pale blue material did _nothing_ to hide the hickies.

"Shit," he muttered and ran his brush through sleep tangled hair before pulling out his shaving razor and toothbrush.

After Iruka had finished his morning routine and shoved all his possessions into his backpack, he made his way downstairs where the scent of coffee called to him like siren song.

"Morning, Kurenai," he called to the dark haired beauty standing by the glass doors leading to the back yard.

"Hey, Iruka. Cups are in the third cupboard above the sink and pot's on the stove. Help yourself."

"Thanks," Iruka muttered and got down to the serious business of feeding caffeine into his system. "Where's everyone else?"

"Most of the guests went home last night. Asuma's still asleep, Anko's getting dressed, and Ibiki's lazing on the porch watching Genma and Kakashi beat the shit out of each other," Kurenai said with an air of total unconcern for such alarming words.

Iruka was across the room in a few quick strides and a shocked, "They're _what_?"

Sure enough, there was Kakashi and Genma trading vicious, lightning fast strikes.

"Why are they fighting?" Iruka demanded and flinched as Genma kicked Kakashi's legs out from under him. Kakashi rolled smoothly back to his feet and drove his fist into Genma's gut. "Why the hell are they fighting?"

Kurenai let out a peal of musical laughter and patted Iruka on the arm. "Don't worry your dear head over it, they're only training. If they were serious there'd be blood."

A quick left jab from Kakashi had Genma stumbling backwards and spitting a glob of red onto the grass.

"More blood," Kurenai corrected and Iruka made a very nervous sound. "Well, I'm going to get dressed, can't wander around in my nightie all day. Why don't you go sit with Ibiki and enjoy the show?"

Iruka took her advice and walked outside to where Ibiki was slouched on one of the couches, his feet crossed on top of the matching coffee table. The large man took up almost the whole two-seater so Iruka perched on the couch arm with a friendly, "Morning."

"_Ytro dobroe_," Ibiki said and offered Iruka his flask.

Iruka grimaced as his stomach gave a half hearted flip. "Oh no. No thank you. I definitely learned my lesson last night."

"You belly sick?" Ibiki asked, not taking the flask back.

"A little, yeah." Though Iruka figured it was more nerves than anything. Nothing like being woken up by a blowjob from one of the most dangerous men you'd ever met before getting on his private plane and having to break the news to him that you'd withheld information and will be walking out on him as soon as the plane lands. Oh, and watching said man beat the crap out of one of his closest friends as a little morning exercise. Yeah, his stomach wasn't exactly fantastic that morning.

Ibiki jiggled the flask and said, "Dog hair is good for morning after."

Iruka let out a huff of laughter. "Thanks, but not for me. I'll stick with coffee."

Shrugging, Ibiki took a long pull on his flask and Iruka returned to watching Genma and Kakashi.

"They're amazing," Iruka said slightly breathlessly as he watched the flurry of rapid punches and blocks exchanged between the two men. "I've always wished I could do that."

"You not know fighting?" Ibiki asked and Iruka was quite surprised by the level of curiosity in the Russian's voice.

With a small, sheepish smile, Iruka looked to where Ibiki lounged comfortably beside him, the black eyes attentive. "No. My friend – Raido – learned and teaches the kids some self defence, but I've never gotten around to asking him to show me anything much. I know how to throw a punch without breaking my little finger, but that's about it."

The scarred Russian clicked his tongue disapprovingly. "This is no good," he said and leaned closer to Iruka in a conspiratorial manner, lowering his voice. "I teach you now."

"Now? Really?" Iruka would be lying if he said that the offer didn't hold great appeal for him. His heart had already begun to speed with excitement.

"We do smart though." A thick finger poked Iruka in the chest. "You have heart of bear but body of bird, so I teach you to fight _dirty_," Ibiki grinned wickedly and stood, motioning for Iruka to follow. "_Vstavai_."

Iruka pushed to his feet with half excited anticipation and half anxious certainty that he was about to collect a whole new set of bruises. However, it was a fantastic distraction from all the other things clamouring in his head to make him nervous so he was very willing. They stepped clear of the furniture. Facing off against Ibiki reminded Iruka just how huge the man was and the teacher laughed as he looked up into black eyes.

"I don't think anything you can teach me will make a difference if I'm facing off against someone as big as you."

Ibiki waved a thick hand through the air. "Size, it not matter. Anko is tiny and _very_ deadly. All men have same weak place." The Russian pointed at his throat, "Here," his nose and eyes, "here," and strangely enough, his foot, "here. Also, here," Ibiki finished by tapping on his diaphragm. "You hit and enemy will fall."

"Right," Iruka said with an affirming nod and pointed at the locations Ibiki had indicated repeating, "here, here, here, and here."

"_Da_. Now, stand like this." Ibiki took up a pose and Iruka copied him. It was a comfortable and instinctual stance, legs apart and slightly side on with one foot forward, fists raised protectively in front of his face. "Good! Form is good."

"Okay," Iruka said, grinning but serious. This was _great_!

Ibiki stepped toward him and patted his forearms. "These protect this," he said and poked Iruka in the forehead.

"Got it."

"They punch," Ibiki swung his hand slowly at the left of Iruka's head and Iruka moved his arm to intercept, "yes, you do this. They punch," the same moves were repeated on the right side, "and you do."

This time, Ibiki swung a bit faster and Iruka easily blocked the hands slapping at his head.

"Good," the Russian declared and then moved to strike Iruka head on without warning. Iruka flinched back and moved his hands together to defend, open palmed. Ibiki grabbed hold of one of Iruka's wrists and yanked him forward.

"Woah!" the small teacher exclaimed as he was sent stumbling into Ibiki's broad chest and a massive hand clamped onto his shoulder. About the same time as Ibiki gripped him, Iruka's heart beat kicked rapidly and the smaller man had to forcibly stop himself from struggling free. He'd known as soon as he'd accepted Ibiki's offer for the impromptu lesson that there would be close physical contact involved, but the surprise move had left him shaken.

"That is, how you say, beginning mistake. You block punch so, and now I have you." Ibiki directed a friendly smile down at him and released Iruka so the slight brunette could put some distance between them. "For front punch, you not give them chance to catch. Stand like I show."

Taking a steadying breath, Iruka took up his stance again and Ibiki did too, saying, "Punch front at me."

Iruka moved slowly, like Ibiki had, and instead of blocking the strike the large man pivoted on his feet and moved out of the way.

"You move, they go past," he said as Iruka's arm straightened with the end of the punch. Ibiki took hold of Iruka's wrist again, the massive hand encircling almost half his forearm. "You catch them, they not catch you. Yes?"

"Yes," Iruka agreed as they held the pose, waiting to see what happens next.

"You pull," Ibiki pulled forward slowly and Iruka had no choice but to go with the movement, "and elbow."

As Iruka moved forward, Ibiki lifted his other arm and aimed his elbow right for Iruka's nose, miming throwing effort behind it so Iruka had no problem imagining how hard the strike would be in a real fight.

"You hit nose, they bleed and eyes are crying. Trust me, it hurt very much, cannot breathe, cannot see."

Iruka stood there for a moment with Ibiki still grasping his wrist and the elbow hovering in front of his nose. He could easily imagine how damn much it would hurt to take a hit full to the face with his own body weight driving him forward and Ibiki viciously driving his elbow back.

"_That_ would do some serious damage," Iruka said as Ibiki released him and they took up their stances again.

"Is the idea, yes?" The Russian grinned. "Now, you to me. I am large so pull hard."

"I won't hit you?" the smaller man checked.

Ibiki fixed Iruka with serious black eyes and said, "Try to."

"But-"

"No argue. Hit me."

The large fist shot forward, right for Iruka's nose. The small teacher flinched back and pivoted on his feet as Ibiki had done. The fist missed him by mere millimetres and Iruka caught the following wrist in a tight grip. Using the moving momentum of his own body, he pulled hard and yanked Ibiki forward with all his strength, driving his elbow back at the same time. There was a loud slap of skin meeting skin and Ibiki grinned wickedly at Iruka from behind the large hand that had caught the thin elbow.

"_Otlichno_! Again." And the Russian was yanking himself out of Iruka's grasp and advancing immediately. Iruka skipped back a step, trying to regain his footing and was barely quick enough to counter the next strike. He caught it with the wrong hand, still yanked Ibiki forward and spun out of the way instead of trying to strike back, quickly skipping out of range.

"This is good also," Ibiki said as he turned to face Iruka. "Not strong, but quick. You fight very good with more teachings." Ibiki motioned Iruka back and they took up their stances again.

Once more, Ibiki struck out and Iruka countered it as shown. Satisfied that Iruka had learned the move, Ibiki stepped back and nodded.

"From behind is harder to fight, but much damage can be done to the enemy."

Over the next few minutes, Ibiki taught Iruka how to best drive his elbow back into an enemy's solar plexus, crush the instep of their foot, gouge out their eyes, and crush their windpipe. Somehow, Iruka didn't think he'd be teaching any of these moves to the kids.

"What about the groin?" Iruka asked and Ibiki shook his head.

"We are men, happy to break nose before balls. Protect our balls is instinct. Hit if you have clean shot, they will drop, but dig out eyes will drop them for longer." Ibiki's smirk was positively terrifying. "Now, let us see how you have learned."

With those words, Ibiki darted forward and Iruka had barely enough time to block the right hook flying at his face before skipping back and aiming a strike at Ibiki's throat. Ibiki batted his blow to the side and tried to drive an uppercut into Iruka's stomach. Iruka twisted to the side and grabbed Ibiki's wrist, yanked to pull him off balance and didn't get a chance to try and elbow him in the face before Ibiki was executing some crazy move and Iruka ended up with a massive forearm wrapped around his throat and shoved face first into one of the veranda's support beams.

"Now what?" Ibiki rumbled into his ear and Iruka answered him by driving his elbow into his ribs and trying to stomp on his foot.

Ibiki let him go and Iruka swung around, using the momentum of his body to throw a punch. Ibiki caught his arm, yanked him off balance, and before Iruka knew what was happening the world spun and he was on his back on the soft cushions of the couch, the backs of his knees smarting where they'd thumped against the armrest. Ibiki was grinning down at him.

"_Prevoshodno_! Very good! You are smart student, I am pleased, good instinct," praised Ibiki as Iruka tried to figure out how he'd ended up flat on his back. "You will take down a normal man with practice."

Iruka grinned back. "So what do I do after I've dropped him?"

"You fly away, little bird, fast as your wings carry you," Ibiki said very seriously and Iruka recognised the good advice for what it was.

"And then you give us a ring," Genma called out and Iruka looked to the side to find him and Kakashi leaning against the railing watching them, "and we come sort the bugger out for ya."

Iruka was surprised and touched by the offer, but hid it behind a cheeky grin. "By the time you fly over he'll be long gone," Iruka said. "Might give the police a call instead."

"Ah, ruin all my fun," Genma complained jokingly and dug an elbow into Kakashi's ribs. "Wouldn't be the first time we got to someone while they're _safely_ behind bars, yeah."

Kakashi chuckled and scratched under his chin. "Always makes things more interesting."

A shiver ran down Iruka's spine as he thought about the small hints the group of friends had dropped during his time with them. A dangerous collection of people if ever Iruka had met any.

"Well," Kakashi said with that air people get when they're wrapping up a visit, "we have to get going, the plane leaves in about an hour."

"Che, I was sick of your fugly face anyway," Genma declared with a yawn and a stretch, wincing before poking gingerly at his ribs. "Fuck, mate, next time I'm just gonna pitch you and gigantor against each other and watch. Least you two are evenly matched."

Ibiki threw Genma a dark glare as Kakashi cocked his eyebrow. "Sore loser," Kakashi said and jabbed Genma in the ribs, earning a hiss.

"That's it; get the fuck outta my house. Iruka, as soon as that plane lands you ditch this bastard's sorry arse and high tail it back to your bro. This guy's nothing but bad juju, dude."

Iruka sat up and mock saluted, saying, "Ditch the bad juju, got it," and made a mental note to look up what 'juju' was later.

…

Clarissa was their air-hostess again and greeted them with cool efficiency as they exited the car and approached the steps to the plane. Iruka noted that she still ogled Kakashi's arse on his way up, though. After she'd seen them comfortably seated and served fresh coffee, Clarissa asked, "Do you require privacy again, Mr. Hatake?"

"Yes," Kakashi answered flatly and took a sip of his drink.

Clarissa's nostrils flared and her lips pressed into an angry thin line. "Very well," she replied in a clipped tone and turned on her heel.

Iruka sighed internally and called out, "Clarissa," halting the woman just as her hand landed on the door to the cockpit. She turned and fixed him with unfriendly eyes. "The coffee's excellent, thank you."

Clarissa replied with a perfunctory, "You're welcome, sir," before disappearing through the door and snapping it closed behind her. Iruka turned to Kakashi with his eyebrow raised.

"Really?"

"What?" Kakashi asked, though the quirk to his lips told Iruka that the handsome man knew exactly what he was talking about.

"You know what," Iruka said with fond exasperation. "Leave the poor girl alone."

Kakashi hid a smirk behind his coffee cup as he took another drink. "I have no idea what you're talking about," he said after he'd swallowed and schooled his features again.

Iruka snorted inelegantly and clipped on his seatbelt. "You're so full of crap."

"How so?" Kakashi asked straight faced but with amusement twinkling in his grey eye.

Iruka fixed him with a bland look. "All the expensive suits and private planes in the world can't hide what's really underneath, Kakashi."

"And that would be?"

"A school yard bully." Kakashi let out a huff of laughter and Iruka grinned, continuing with, "You can try and cover it up with suave moves and smooth words, but it doesn't change the fact that your favourite pastime is pulling pigtails."

Kakashi threw his head back and laughed, the sound bouncing around the cabin and making Iruka tingle with warmth.

"Hey, I'm a teacher," he continued to tease, "I can spot a bully a mile away and it's my job to put them on the straight and narrow, make them give up their snot-nosed, bratty ways."

"I'm starting to have disciplinary teacher fantasies over here, sensei. Keep talking like that and I'll make it my life's work to bully people in front of you as often as possible," Kakashi said, mouth curving into a filthy leer.

Iruka felt the heat rising in his cheeks and looked away, scratching at his scar nervously and missing the curious narrowing of Kakashi's eye.

After his 'workout' with Genma, Kakashi had had a quick wash and changed his grass stained clothes for supple silk and wool while Iruka said goodbye to the others. They had been wonderfully welcoming and endlessly fascinating to speak with. Iruka felt very fortunate to have spent a night with them and grateful that they'd been so warmly inclusive of a stranger.

Iruka had shaken hands with a sleepy Asuma – dragged from his bed by Kurenai to see Kakashi off – and had his hand swallowed by Ibiki's massive paw while favoured with a pat to the shoulder and a promise that they'd drink _samogon_ together again. Kurenai had given him a fond kiss on the cheek – the baby kicking Iruka when she pressed close – and Anko had kissed his other cheek and taken the opportunity to cheekily grope his arse. Genma snatched Iruka up in a hug, lifting the slight teacher off his feet before telling him and Kakashi to 'get the fuck outta' his house again with a big, friendly grin and a kick aimed at Kakashi's backside.

They'd climbed back into Kakashi's sleek car and driven to the airport through the mid morning traffic, their conversation kept deliberately light and centring around the previous night. The fine edge of tension was back between them once they were alone again but Iruka was trying hard to act as though nothing was out of the ordinary.

"So why are you sitting all the way over there, hmm?" Kakashi asked, bringing Iruka back to the present as the businessman nodded to the empty seat between them. "I'm starting to worry I smell."

"Don't be ridiculous," Iruka chided and lazed back in his seat. "There's no need to sit on each other's laps and you know I get twitchy during take-off."

Kakashi huffed and moved into the seat next to Iruka, belting up. "That's why you should definitely sit on my lap. I'll have you know that I am a certified distraction technique."

"Kakashi-" Iruka started to protest with an exasperated sigh but Kakashi took Iruka's smaller hand and lifted it to his mouth, grazed his teeth across the meat at the base of the dusky thumb. Iruka's next breath was shuddery as Kakashi nipped his way up before slipping the digit it into his mouth.

"Fuck," Iruka said breathily on an exhale when Kakashi swirled his tongue and sucked.

"Delicious," Kakashi said, voice low and gravel rough as he pulled off the teacher's thumb and leaned over so he could slide his tongue over the shell of a small, cinnamon ear. "When you were sparring with Ibiki this morning, you were gorgeous. You move like a cat, Iruka, all sleek lines and sharp jabs." Without preamble, Kakashi cupped Iruka between the legs and Iruka tried to push into the pressure but was restricted by his seatbelt. "I would've loved to have had you on my team, train you personally. I'd run you hard during the day, work you until you could hardly stand, your muscles stone heavy with exhaustion, and then I'd take you to my tent, stretch you out on my bedroll all limp and pliant, and fuck you through orgasm after orgasm." Kakashi said, kneading Iruka's cock through his jeans. Iruka's hand latched onto Kakashi's forearm tightly and he moaned. "You'd have no strength left to resist me, forced to lie there and take it until _I'm _ready to let you rest. Some nights I'd fuck you until you passed out and then keep going. You might wake up hours later with me still moving inside you."

"Oh f-fuuuck," Iruka groaned, the images Kakashi was conjuring sharp in his mind, and shuddering as he realised that he was in serious danger of coming in his pants. "Stop talking, damn it."

"If I was your commanding officer, you wouldn't be able to talk to me like that. I'd be the one disciplining you, sensei." A sharp nip to Iruka's earlobe and a firm squeeze between his legs had the young sensei keening but remembering the dark bruises that Kakashi had already left on him. Iruka jerked his head to the side, away from Kakashi's mouth, and tightened his grip on the pale, muscular forearm.

"Give me another hickey and I'll show you exactly how much of Ibiki's lesson I remember," he threatened, voice husky with arousal, and Kakashi made a noise more growl than hum.

"I would _love_ to tussle with you anytime, sweetheart. Any excuse to get you hot and panting under me." To emphasise this, Kakashi slid down Iruka's zip and pushed his hand inside the jeans, palming him through his underwear.

Iruka's head fell back against the seat with strangled, "Hnng,"

"That's it," Kakashi murmured and squeezed a little tighter.

Iruka shuddered and managed to groan out, "Wait, just wai- _Christ_!" Kakashi slipped his hand beneath the band of Iruka's underwear and dragged his thumb over the wet head of Iruka's cock. "Fuck, fuck, Kakashi, just wait a second."

"Why?" Kakashi asked as he shoved his hand deeper and curled his fingers around Iruka's tight balls.

Tightening his grip on the muscular forearm, Iruka ground out, "At least… at least wait until we're in the air, damn it."

"We are in the air," Kakashi answered, amused, and Iruka twisted his head to look out the window at fluffy clouds and blue sky.

"Son of a bitch," he huffed and his words are met with a deep chuckle that was little more than grumbling vibration in Kakashi's throat.

"Told you I'm a great distraction," Kakashi said into the space behind Iruka's small ear and dragged his thumb over the glans again.

Iruka's mind is hazy with pleasure, but he knew he needed to stop Kakashi. It was wrong to be pleasured when Iruka had yet to break the news of the boys' discharge from the hospital and his immanent departure. But it felt so good; it always felt good when Kakashi's hands were on him, plucking and stringing his body to the tune the brilliant man wanted to play. Not this time, though. He'd given himself a night and that morning had been sprung on him without warning, but this he could control. This he could stop before it became a situation that would later leave Kakashi bitter and angry.

Taking a firm hold of Kakashi's wrist, Iruka pulled the pale hand from his jeans and quickly refastened his zip. He could smell himself on Kakashi's skin and the scent sent a shiver of arousal down his spine that he forcefully ignored as he clasped Kakashi's skilled hand between his smaller ones.

Kakashi had gone utterly still and was watching him silently, grey eye narrowed intently. It never failed to remind Iruka of something primal watching from the shadows.

"What's wrong?" Kakashi asked, his tone low and gentle, and Iruka tried not to resent him for it. Kakashi had every right to treat him like a skittish animal after the way he'd acted over the past few days.

"I don't want to," Iruka said and then blushed deeply as Kakashi looked pointedly at the way his jeans were straining across his crotch. "We need to talk, Kakashi."

Kakashi sighed through his nose as his talented lips pressed into a thin, displeased line. "Conversations that start with those words never end well."

"No," Iruka agreed, "and I suspect this one will be no different."

He let the pale hand go easily when Kakashi shifted it out of his grip and had to suppress a smile as the elite businessman flopped back in his seat like a petulant teenager.

"Do we have to?" Kakashi asked and scrubbed a hand through his hair, further mussing the already scruffy silver strands and the sight made Iruka want to touch. "I'm tired of arguing with you."

"I don't want to fight with you either," Iruka reassured him.

"Then let's not," Kakashi declared, waving his hand through the air in emphasis. "Let's go back to me feeling you up and you moaning my name."

"I didn't _moan your name_," Iruka protested indignantly and Kakashi smirked.

"You were working up to it. I figure another two minutes and sixteen seconds and you would have."

Iruka may have spluttered a little before demanding, "How the hell do you figure that?"

"Because," Kakashi said, voice deep and velvety, his smile sharp and knowing, "that's how long it would have taken me to strip your pants off and get your cock down my throat."

Iruka swallowed as a sharp spike of arousal shot through his groin and his cock throbbed within the confines of his jeans. Kakashi smiled provocatively, his single eye dark and promising. As tempting as Kakashi's offer was – and by the heavens was it _tempting_ – Iruka wasn't ready to allow Kakashi to have control again, didn't want to feel vulnerable and exposed. But he could give instead of take.

"Alright, we'll talk later," he said and had to quickly catch hold of Kakashi's wrist as the gorgeous man reached for him again. "Let me, okay?"

The silver crowned head tilted curiously and Kakashi retracted his hand, stroking long fingers over the rapid pulse in Iruka's wrist. "I'm all yours, sensei," he said in a deep voice that held equal amounts of enticement and challenge.

And just like that, the ball was completely in Iruka's court. Kakashi was waiting for him to make a move and the young sensei sat frozen, unsure of what to do and feeling unaccountably shy. Even after all they'd done since meeting, Iruka felt like he was back on the first private plane, travelling to San Francisco and owing Kakashi a kiss as payment for his airfare.

Flexing his hands nervously, he glanced up at Kakashi and asked, "So, umm... is there anything you'd like me to do?" more timid than he'd like.

Iruka was not sure why, but Kakashi's eye darkened to the colour of thunderclouds and the next thing the teacher knew he was hauled onto the larger man's lap.

"Dangerous question, sweetheart," Kakashi said before licking his way past Iruka's full lips.

The kiss went on for several long minutes, one of Kakashi's hands cradling the back of Iruka's slender neck and the other clamped firmly on his arse.

Twisting his head to the side, Iruka panted, "Wait, wait a second."

"Yes?" Kakashi asked into the curve of his jaw, tone husky and teasing.

"I'm supposed t-to be _nngh_!"

Kakashi continued to nip at his neck and grind against him, enjoying the younger man's surprised grunt and involuntary shudders. Iruka's neck was very sensitive and terribly addictive. With a frustrated groan, Iruka pushed Kakashi back by the shoulders and slid off of his lap and onto the floor.

"I'm supposed to be doing this, damn you," he griped and reached for Kakashi's fly.

Kakashi leaned back in his seat and slipped the soft wrap off his head, mismatched eyes heated and hungry. "By all means, don't let me interfere."

Iruka took his time, went about the business of bringing Kakashi to climax slowly, being careful to draw it out and greedily tuck away every moan and gasp.

When Clarissa went to tell her passengers that the plane was about to begin its descent, she was stopped in her tracks by the sight of the dark haired man – she hadn't bothered to learn his name – on his knees between Mr. Hatake's spread thighs and making obscenely wet noises. He didn't notice her arrival but Mr. Hatake did, fixing her with a glare that froze the blood in her veins. His silver hair was hanging to hide his normally visible eye, the scarred one uncovered and burning, vivid crimson. Mr. Hatake curled forward, sliding a hand around the back of the other man's head protectively – as if trying to hide him from her gaze – and snarled, "_Go_," so viciously that she was back in the cockpit with the door closed before her mind caught up with her body.

Iruka flinched back from what he was doing, looking up at Kakashi with startled eyes.

"What?" he asked, voice rough with arousal and from the intrusion of Kakashi's cock.

Kakashi smiled down at him gently, brushing his thumb over a scarred cheek.

"Go faster, please. You're making me crazy."

Iruka relaxed and gave a small smile before lowering his head again and doing exactly as Kakashi asked.

When the plane descended ten minutes later, it was with his hand held in Kakashi's large, warm grip, a sullenly aching erection, and with the strong flavour of Kakashi's release on his tongue.

…

"Mr. Hatake! Mr. Umino!" Matherson greeted them jovially as they entered the Spiral Leaf's shining foyer. "Welcome back to your home away from home."

"Matherson," Kakashi greeted with a slight nod as Iruka murmured, "Hello," and made to step around the manically grinning manager. Iruka wasn't one to hold grudges, but the man's behaviour the first day they'd met – when he'd singled Iruka out in the foyer crowd and confronted him over his presence – still rankled and Iruka didn't want to talk to him if he didn't have to.

Matherson, however, was apparently ecstatic at the chance to talk to Iruka and stepped into his path, asking enthusiastically, "Did you have a pleasurable trip, sir?"

The man's words couldn't have been more poorly chosen if he'd been privy to everything Iruka and Kakashi had gotten up to during the last seventeen hours. Iruka's cheeks flushed in embarrassment, ducking his head and readjusting the strap of his backpack – he'd refused to surrender it to the doorman – which in turn drew Matherson's gaze to the large hickey on his throat.

Matherson blushed brilliant red and started spluttering, "Oh! I- you- that is- I mean-"

Kakashi, so obviously swallowing down laughter that Iruka felt the urge to kick him in the knee, hooked an arm around Iruka's hunched shoulders.

"The trip was extremely pleasurable," Kakashi purred, eyes sparkling with pure amusement as Matherson darkened so much that he turned an odd shade of purple. "Goodbye, Matherson," he said and drew the smaller man towards the elevators. Iruka kept his eyes firmly on the floor and didn't shrug out of Kakashi's hold until the elevator doors had closed behind them.

"I hate you," the embarrassed teacher spat so venomously that the elevator operator flinched. The man couldn't understand his passenger's language but he sure recognised that tone!

"Oh come now," Kakashi said, white teeth flashing in a cocky grin.

"No, seriously, the only thing I feel for you right now a deep and pure loathing."

"That's only because you wouldn't let me get you off on the plane," Kakashi said before dropping his tone to a throaty rumble and ducking his head to murmur into a cinnamon ear, "which I plan to rectify as soon as we're back in the suite."

Iruka could feel his cheeks heating even further than their no doubt still brilliant red and growled, "Urge to kill, rising."

"You'll feel better after an orgasm or two," the taller man quipped and gave Iruka a light pat on the shoulder. Iruka responded by directing a glare so dark at Kakashi that the smirk on the handsome face was replaced by a wary expression. "Maybe three."

Iruka didn't deign to respond, but he did continue to glare at nothing and everything. They reached their floor quickly – Iruka still impressed by the elevator's smooth speed – and made their way through the gilded doors of the suite. Iruka headed straight for the bedroom and heard Kakashi's appreciative comment of, "Now we're talking," come from behind him as the businessman closed the main doors.

"No," Iruka corrected as he entered the bedroom and went straight to the closet, dropping his backpack onto the bed, "I wanted to talk on the plane but you were more interested in screwing around."

"Interesting choice of words," Kakashi quipped from the doorway and Iruka glanced over his shoulder to see the older man leaning against the frame, muscular body relaxed but expression slowly hardening. "What are you doing, Iruka?"

"Packing," Iruka answered shortly as he grabbed his empty duffle and tossed it onto the bed next to the backpack.

"Why?" And Kakashi's tone was definitely taking on a warning edge; one that sent skitters of apprehension down Iruka's spine. But he was done, done with it all. He and Kakashi had been playing a messed up game since they'd met and enough was enough. The song was ending, this Midsummer Night's dance of seduction and trickery slowing its steps to the inevitable crash at dawn.

Iruka had always known that this situation wouldn't end well, with new friendships forged and everyone happy, but that had never been his concern. Kakashi wasn't his priority; his priority had always been the boys. Seeing Naruto and Sasuke healthy and safe and home was always his goal, both his and Kakashi's needs and wants were only ever going to come second. He'd known for the last few days that Kakashi was the type of man who needed to always be first, to be the priority, and he'd been pushing Iruka to make him that that since they'd met.

Iruka had also been fighting him on that aspect every step of the way. Looked like the fight wasn't over just yet, not that Iruka was surprised. He jerked a handful of clothes from where they were neatly draped on hangers and stuffed them into his bag, feeling bad about the creases he was putting into the carefully ironed fabric. He wasn't usually so callous with other people's hard work.

"Because it's time for me to leave, the boys are being released today."

He chanced a glance at Kakashi – the pale face intent and emotionless in that way Iruka hated – before turning back to grab his remaining clothes and was relieved to see his black polo shirt. One of the staff must have collected and laundered it, and if Iruka knew who it was, he'd be tempted to give them a hug.

"When did you find that out?"

Throwing his shirt on the bed next to his bag, he shoved the remaining clothes away and said, "Naruto told me yesterday."

"I see."

No inflection in that tone what so ever, Kakashi could have been stating that the sky was blue or water wet. Without giving himself time to hesitate, Iruka stripped off his t-shirt and threw it into the bag before pulling on the polo shirt. They were both silent as Iruka zipped up his duffle, the rest of his gear already stored in his backpack. All that remained was to walk out the door.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Kakashi asked and Iruka sighed.

_Trust him not to just let me leave. It always has to be on his terms, when he's ready._

Kakashi was still leaning in the doorway and for the first time Iruka began to suspect that it was a deliberate manoeuvre to block the exit. Unease began to coil in his gut and his internal warning bell that Iruka had been convinced was broken around Kakashi started to chime.

"I tried to on the plane, you weren't interested," Iruka said and met Kakashi's stare flatly.

"And yesterday?"

"There didn't seem to be an appropriate time."

Kakashi flashed a fleeting smiled and it was as warm as a blizzard. "Bullshit."

"When would you have liked me to tell you, then? While we were fighting? During one of our tentative truces or when you were relaxing with your friends? How about while we were fucking?" Iruka snapped and saw the flex of Kakashi's jaw as the larger man grit his teeth.

Iruka continued to match him stare for stare for a long moment, the silence hanging heavy in the room.

"What'd you want me to say, Kakashi?" he eventually asked and Kakashi's eye was as hard as iron.

"The truth."

"The truth is that I tried to tell you on the plane and you weren't interested."

Iruka might not be much good at this game, but he still knew how to play.

"What're you trying to achieve here?" he asked and picked up his duffle bag, slung his backpack over his should while walking around the bed so that it was no longer between them.

Kakashi straightened, his broad body completely blocking the door, and Iruka stopped, dark eyes narrowing.

"What are you trying to achieve?" he asked again, but this time his tone was much lower and edged with warning.

"I'm trying to determine the truth," Kakashi answered, tone just as low as Iruka's. "I don't think you're being entirely honest with me here, sensei."

"You have no right to question my honesty after the stunts you've pulled," Iruka bit out. "Don't think for one second that I've forgotten how you neglected to mention your association with Sasuke or his request that you escort me over here. I don't remember you being entirely honest with me then."

"Don't try and change the subject."

"I thought the subject was honesty."

Kakashi's eye narrowed dangerously and Iruka was caught between wanting to smirk and backing cautiously away.

_Not so fun being on the receiving end, eh, Kakashi?_

Iruka was feeling more like himself than he had in almost five days. His brother and dear friend were alive and well, he'd caught up on his sleep, and he was finally feeling back in control. Kakashi looked like he was about to lose his, though.

"You manipulated me," the larger male growled and Iruka laughed, all bitterness and sharp edges.

"You hypocrite," he spat and Kakashi took an angry step forward. Iruka should have felt afraid, should have backed away and either tried to cool the situation down or run, but his temper was far beyond caution. "I didn't manipulate shit. All I did was withhold some information, which you've done to me more times than I can count since we met."

"And that makes it okay?" Kakashi demanded, eye widening and his brow creasing. "There are a lot of people I'd expect this from, but not _you_."

That pulled Iruka up short because Kakashi's tone was one of betrayal. Iruka hadn't been expecting that, but perhaps he should have. Kakashi had been saying for days how he believed Iruka to be the most honest person he'd ever met. Iruka barely knew the isolated business tycoon, but he did know that Kakashi lived in a world of deceit and superficiality. It hadn't been Iruka's intension to add to it, he'd only wanted to try and get out of this predicament on his own terms, and by doing so had sunk to their level.

Iruka dropped his gaze. "Don't put me on a pedestal, Kakashi. I'm human, I'll always fall off."

"I just don't understand why," Kakashi's tone was as close to pleading as Iruka suspected it ever got and he scrubbed a hand over his face in frustration, swallowing down the flash of irrational guilt.

"Where do you see it going, this thing between us?" Kakashi didn't answer and Iruka hadn't really expected him to. "What we have, it's a phosphorous burn – quick and brilliant and leaving nothing behind but scorch marks. We fight more than talk, I wrestle for equality while you snatch at control, and neither of us trusts the other."

Iruka stepped up to Kakashi – the movement consoling rather than aggressive – and laid his hand on Kakashi's bicep. The taller man's muscles were like steel cable beneath the soft silk of his shirt.

"Thank you for your generosity and kindness during these difficult days." Iruka looked into Kakashi's eye and tried not to flinch at the flat, emotionless gaze. "Thank you for helping my family. Goodbye Kakashi. I honestly wish you happiness in life."

Iruka never saw it coming. The moment he made to leave, Kakashi moved like lightning. The backpack was ripped off his shoulder, the duffle bag kicked out of his hand, and Kakashi's arm hooked around his chest, yanking him off his feet and slamming him against the wall with a force just shy of violence.

As Iruka's breath choked out of his lungs, Kakashi's mouth slammed over his and strong hands grabbed hold of his arse, dragging him up the wall to a more convenient height. Iruka kicked and struggled but the larger male leaned into him, pinning him with his greater bulk.

Wrenching his head to the side, Iruka snapped out, "No!" and Kakashi growled, the sound rumbling deep in his chest as he dragged his teeth roughly over the possessive marks on Iruka's neck, making them throb sharply. Iruka heart was running wild as jack rabbit and it had nothing to do with arousal. Sheer, blinding panic shot adrenaline through his body and had him lashing out.

"Get the hell off me!"

Possibly, it was because Iruka himself didn't know what he was going to do that he managed to catch Kakashi by surprise and slam his fist into the side of the silver crowned head.

Kakashi dropped him, darting back a few feet and Iruka acted immediately. He shot from the room, snatching up his bags on the fly, and sprinted for the front doors. Bursting through them, he didn't slow his pace one whit as the bolted across the reception room to smack his hand against the elevator call button. Some higher power had obviously decided to take pity on him because the elevator arrived immediately and the doors slid open with a notifying ping.

"Lobby, now," Iruka snapped as he stepped inside and the operator leapt to obey his order with a startled expression.

When the doors slid closed and the elevator started its smooth ride down, Iruka clenched his jaw and forcibly steadied his breathing.

"Are you alright, sir?" the operator asked warily and Iruka nodded, not trusting himself to speak.

When the elevator doors opened, he felt steady enough to say, "Thank you," before stalking across the foyer. A porter looked ready to rush over and offer to take his bags but Iruka gave a sharp shake of his head and the man settled back into his position by the desk. Thankfully, Matherson was nowhere to be seen and the glittering guests milling in the area took one look at his face before opening a path to let him through. Without any interruptions, Iruka was out the doors.

There was a light rain falling, barely heavier than mist, and it dusted Iruka's arms and face like miniature shards of ice. Stopping once he hit the footpath, Iruka looked up and down the busy road with no clue what to do or how to get to the hospital across town. His body thrummed with nervous energy and the need to get away, far away, right the fuck_ now_.

"Hey! Hey, son!"

Iruka looked over at the call and saw that a taxi had pulled to a stop on the side of the road, the driver – a weathered looking man in his late fifties with only a sparse smattering of ginger hair remaining – looking at him with a concerned frown.

"Y'look like ya can use a lift, son."

"_Yes_," Iruka agreed vehemently. "Thank you."

Throwing his bags into the back seat and clambering in after them, Iruka let out a relieved breath and clipped on his seatbelt.

"Where to?" the driver asked him and clucked sympathetically when Iruka gave him the hospital's address. "No wonder ya looked so freaked out."

Iruka gave a laugh that sounded broken and said, "No. That's all good now. They're okay," before burying his face in his hands.

The driver respected his need for silence and turned on the radio. Credence filled the silence, wailing about a bad moon rising and Iruka almost laughed again at the fitting words but swallowed it down, scared of how it might sound should it escape his throat.

God, fuck, he'd punched Kakashi! Punched him right in the head and then run like the devil was on his trail.

_Devil_, Iruka snorted to himself. _Not quite the devil, but still very dangerous._

If Kakashi had come after him – if Kakashi had decided to take exception to the fact that Iruka had _punched him in the fucking head_ – Iruka was in no doubt that he'd be little more than a bloody smear on the ridiculously expensive carpet by now. Just that morning, Iruka had watched while Kakashi beat the tar out of his close friend for a bit of training and _fun_, and he'd gone and punched that same man only hours later!

But Kakashi had messed up too! He'd… fuck, what had he been thinking by grabbing Iruka like that? What in the nine levels of hell had he been thinking? Iruka had said thank you and goodbye and it should have been over! Why was it never over where Kakashi was concerned?

Iruka's head snapped up at that thought. What if it still wasn't over? What if Kakashi came after him?

"Y'doing okay back there, son? Yer lookin' mighty pale. Not gonna make a mess in my back seat, are ya?"

It took a moment for the driver's words to make sense through Iruka's spinning mind and after a few moments he was able to answer, "No, not going to make a mess."

"Good," the man said and turned down the radio a bit. "Why don't'cha tell old Sam what happened, eh?"

Iruka ran a hand over his head, fiddled with his ponytail for the distraction of it.

"I just punched a man in the face," he said dully and Sam hummed interestedly.

"He deserve it?"

"What?" Iruka asked, still amazed that he'd just admitted to a total stranger that he'd assaulted somebody.

"Did he deserve it?" Sam repeated.

Iruka thought about that. True, he'd just assaulted Kakashi, but only after Kakashi had assaulted him first.

"Yeah," Iruka said with a small, nervous chuckle. "Yeah, he really did."

"He dead?"

"What? No!" Iruka said horrified and Sam laughed, gravel rough and croaky.

"He bleedin'?"

"No, not at all." And Iruka was relieved to realise that Kakashi was probably unharmed by the whole confrontation. "I don't think I even bruised him."

"Say he got off lucky then," Sam said gruffly. "Y'gonna punch a man ya should see that he remembers it fer a few days."

Iruka laughed, breathless and a little hollow, and relaxed further into his seat. "I'll remember that for next time."

"Yep," Sam said with a nod. "See, now'a'days folks'll get all cranky over a bit a boxin' but I say it's better to sort yer differences with fists than in some damn courtroom full of suits spoutin' mumbo jumbo and wearin' wigs. Ain't no kinda profession when y'gotta wear a wig, tellin' ya. But between men, few punches thrown'll sort out a issue right quick. None of this draggin' it out over months crap. Y'ever punched someone before?"

"Not since I was a child," Iruka admitted and flexed his hand, realising there was only a dull ache and not the sharp hurt of properly slamming his fist into something. He can't have hit that hard, didn't have the room to swing properly fenced in between Kakashi and the wall.

"Ain't nothin' wrong with that, peace loving man m'self. But some situations'll call fer a fella to stand up fer himself. Don't never be ashamed of that, son."

"Thanks, Sam," Iruka said sincerely. "I appreciate it."

They chatted about easier things for the remainder of the drive, Sam happy to tell Iruka all about his grandkids and how he was taking them to their first baseball game when the season started up again. When they arrived at the hospital, Iruka handed over the fare money and a generous tip.

"Y'take care of yer self, now," Sam said, offering his hand to shake and Iruka grasped it warmly.

"You too," he replied and ducked through the rain into the hospital to collect his boys. He made sure to flick his shirt collar up before entering their room.

…

It was late before the three of them were fully settled at Naruto and Sasuke's small apartment near the university. In true student fashion, they'd gotten pizza for dinner and enjoyed it with some beer already in the fridge. As Sasuke went to shower – determined to wash of the stench of betadine and bleach, he'd said – Naruto and Iruka curled up on opposite ends of the couch with hot mugs of tea, the television turned low.

"So…" Naruto started.

"So," Iruka copied with a teasing smile and an arched eyebrow, but Naruto didn't smile back and that quickly had Iruka frowning. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"That's my line," Naruto said and fixed Iruka with a steady gaze. Naruto was so loud and playful that Iruka often forgot that he was no longer a boy but swiftly becoming a man, and often sharper than he let on. Especially when it came to Iruka's moods. "What happened?"

Iruka gave a small, dismissive shake of his head. "Nothing worth talking about," he said and cradled his mug with both hands to hide the slight tremor in them.

Naruto put his mug on the floor and shuffled forward until their knees pressed together, then he reached out and pressed fingers to the collar of Iruka's shirt. Exactly over the spot where the hickies were. Iruka jerked back in surprise, eyes wide and no doubt shining with nervousness, and Naruto lowered his hand back into his lap.

"What happened?" he asked again, eyes full of concern for his brother. "You've been strange since you picked us up, since before then even. You've been evasive and nervous and I…" Naruto looked down at his lap and Iruka had to touch him, had to reach out and rest his hand on his little brother's shoulder reassuringly.

"Naruto-"

"Don't do that," Naruto said and laid his hand over Iruka's, squeezing it firmly. "Don't be secretive anymore." Blue eyes like summer skies looked at Iruka imploringly. "Tell me what's going on."

And Iruka was helpless against his brother like this, defenceless against his sincerity and genuine concern. Most of all, Iruka was defenceless against his familiarity and the inherent comfort of it. Iruka didn't want to tell his brother about how badly he'd screwed things up, but there had never been secrets between them and Iruka never wanted there to be.

"I'm afraid…" Iruka took a steadying breath and ducked his head, long hair loosed from its customary binding hours before falling against his cheeks. He only took a moment to steel his resolve before raising his gaze again. "I'm afraid I've been rather a huge idiot," he said.

"I've been saying that for years," Naruto quipped with half smile that didn't reach his eyes and Iruka huffed a quiet laugh.

"I don't even know where to start," he admitted.

Both brothers jumped as Sasuke's voice came from the doorway to the lounge room. "How about the beginning."

"Shit," Iruka gasped, his hear pounding, as Naruto yelled, "Give us a fucking heart attack, asshole!"

Sasuke strode across the room and shoved the coffee table closer to the couch with his foot before taking a seat on it, facing the brothers. He was wearing a pair of jeans and a fitted t-shirt and Iruka saw that Naruto wasn't the only one who had put on some muscle during their time abroad.

"Well," Sasuke pressed and Iruka wanted to swear again. Bad enough telling Naruto about all that had happened, now he had Sasuke in on the confession too.

"Tell us," Naruto encouraged, giving Iruka's knee a nudge with his.

Iruka sighed, ran a hand through his hair, and said, "It all started when I couldn't get on a flight in Tokyo."

From there, the whole story came out. Not in graphic detail! At least not the graphic parts, but the rest of it – the deals he and Kakashi had struck, the confession of their sordid childhood, the market place, hospital bills, trip to LA – all of it spilled from his lips in a rushed confession that concluded with, "And then I punched him in the head, grabbed my bags, and hightailed it like my arse was on fire."

Both the boys had been silent through the telling, but when the tale had come to a close Naruto leapt off the couch and started pacing agitatedly around the room.

"I'm sorry," Iruka muttered to his tea mug clamped tightly between his hands and Naruto swung around.

"No! Fuck no! You're not sorry about anything, none of it, no!" The blonde clenched his hands in his hair and let out a loud, infuriated noise. "I'm gonna kill him! I'm gonna punch him in his fat, smug face and then I'm gonna punch him again!"

That had Iruka off the couch, hand up and placating while tea – gone cold long ago – slopped over his other one. "Whoa, Kit, simmer down."

"Simmer down? That two faced, cock sucking, son of a bitch fucking-"

"This is my fault," Iruka insisted and Naruto swung around to face him, mouth already open to start talking again but Iruka jumped in first. "It is. I let him get away with it all and I have to take responsibility for my own actions."

"This is _not_ your fault," Sasuke said viciously from where he was still sitting on the coffee table. "None of it."

"Some of it absolutely is," Iruka protested then snapped, "No, listen to me," when both boys started talking at the same time. "Kakashi may have put me in a difficult position but he also helped me- _us_ out an incredible amount. He got me here, he offered me solace about our past, and he gave an obscene amount of money for the hospital bills. I was the one making stupid decisions."

"You were also running on nervous tension and zero sleep," Sasuke said and Iruka couldn't argue with him there.

"We weren't doing much better," Naruto said bitterly. "When you told us you were going to find a place to stay, why didn't we just give you the key to our apartment? Instead I offered for you to share my bed at the hospital and Sasuke wanted to pay for a hotel room."

That revelation was like a slap to the face and the muscles in Iruka's legs liquefied, dumping him inelegantly back on the couch. Why hadn't he thought of that? This whole time, he could have been staying here! Why the fuck hadn't he thought of that?

Naruto voiced his thoughts for him. "Why the fuck didn't we think of that?"

"Kakashi would have thought of it," Sasuke said with great surety and Iruka froze.

"If we didn't -" he started but Sasuke cut him off.

"Trust me, he thought of it. He just didn't mention it because it didn't fit in with his plans."

"And we're back to punching him repeatedly in the face," Naruto growled.

"No," Iruka snapped. "We can't blame all that's happened on one person, no matter how easy it would be."

"But-"

Iruka cut Naruto off sharply, asking, "Should we place blame on Sasuke for the accident? Or on you for wanting to come to America in the first place?"

Both boys were silent and Iruka met their matching belligerent stares with fierce stubbornness.

"There's no blame to place here, this is no one's fault. It's just something that's happened. A damn bizarre situation where lessons were learned and mistakes made. We all did what we thought was right in the moment, all responded how we though best. I won't blame completely Kakashi for how it turned out and neither will the two of you. If anything, I caused this because I wasn't thinking things through clearly and allowed myself to be pushed around." Iruka clenched his hands around his mug. "This will never happen again, not any of it, so we walk away. It's a clean end and it _will_ _stay that way_."

Naruto looked like he wanted to argue more, but Iruka saw that he also understood what it was Iruka was saying. There may have been a lot of mess left behind, but there had also been a lot of good intentions and Naruto was the type of person to focus on the positives in life. His younger brother wouldn't forgive Kakashi, but he also wouldn't pursue it. Sasuke, on the other hand, still looked upset and ran a frustrated hand through his hair.

"I just… I don't understand, Iruka. Why didn't you come to us? Why didn't you come to _me_?" Sasuke asked, the normally steady obsidian eyes deeply troubled. "You must know I'd do anything for you, the both of you."

Iruka reached out without thought, grasping Sasuke's arms and squeezing them, his mug clamped between his thighs.

"I know," he said sincerely. "Sasuke, I know that. We both know that."

"Then why?" Sasuke demanded and Naruto came to sit next to him on the coffee table, knocking their shoulders together.

"This isn't about excluding you," Iruka promised his young friend.

"We made a promise," Naruto said quietly, "that we'll never come to you for money."

"That's stupid!" Sasuke uncharacteristically burst out. "That's completely ridiculous! I have more than enough for all of us!"

"And that doesn't matter to us!" Naruto yelled back with an agitated wave of his arms.

"We love you, Sasuke, for just _you_. It's important to us that you know that," Iruka said.

"We wouldn't go to any of our other friends for money," Naruto snapped, "so why the hell would we go to you?"

"Because I have it and they don't!"

"So what?"

"Boys, calm down," Iruka interceded firmly before gentling his voice and saying to Sasuke, "Our independence is important to us, we've struggled to become self sufficient and we're very proud of it. The good luck we've had, it's incredible. To be able to achieve higher education with our meagre finances let alone the fact that our landlord seems to have forgotten we exist -"

_Oh, he hasn't forgotten,_ Sasuke thought passionately. _Not for a second_.

"- and hasn't raised our rent despite the price of rentals steadily increasing each year, I can't even begin to believe our good fortune."

"What he's trying to say in his typical long-winded way," Naruto said with a grin, "is that we're doing great!"

Iruka ginned as well and agreed, "Yeah, we really are. To make things even better, we have amazing friends. The ones we've grown up with-"

"And one stubborn bitch that followed me home one day," Naruto jumped in, jostling his and Sasuke's shoulders together with rough affection.

"Followed you home?" Sasuke muttered menacingly and the brothers chuckled.

"What Naruto's trying to say with his usual ineptitude is that you've already given us everything we need just by sticking around and being _you_. We don't want anything else and we'll never ask you for anything that might make you doubt that."

"Like money, dipshit."

"Oh for the love of…" Iruka leaned over and punched Naruto in the arm. "Warm and fuzzy are just a pair of slippers to you, aren't they?"

"Possibly a hat too," Naruto agreed with a massive grin. "One of those furry Russian ones."

Iruka smiled as he thought of Ibiki and turned his attention back to Sasuke. "What we're both trying to say-"

"In our long-winded, inept ways."

"Yes, thank you, little brother. What we're saying is that you're family and we want you to come live with us."

Sasuke froze, his whole body going completely still as his eyes widened and he whispered, "What?"

Iruka rubbed at his scar sheepishly. "It just seems to us that-"

"Your brother's an asshole," Naruto said jovially and Iruka had to swallow down a strange combination of tolerant sigh and laughter.

"Well, yes, he doesn't seem the most pleasant of guys."

"And your mum-"

"Naruto, that's enough!" Iruka snapped. Regardless of how uncaring Sasuke's family seemed; it was just plain bad manners to badmouth someone's mother. Shooting Naruto a warning glare, he continued with, "We know our place is small and it's likely not what you're used to – and you're under no obligation what so ever to accept – but if you'd like to, Naruto and I would love to welcome you into our home."

"Besides, it's not like you don't mooch off us half the time anyway," Naruto said and scrunched his nose up when Iruka stared at with exasperation. "What? He does!"

"He does not! Sasuke does more around the house than you do, lazy brain."

"Hey! I totally do heaps around the joint, I'm always doing stuff!"

"Unless playing video games and almost setting the kitchen on fire while making _toast_ is 'stuff' I have no idea what you're talking about."

"I put the bins out!"

"After I kick you off the couch!"

A sniffle caught the brother's attention and they both promptly shut up and snapped their eyes to Sasuke's hunched form. Sasuke's head was bent, his long fringe hiding his face, and he sniffed again though it was obvious he was trying to be discrete.

Unfortunately for Sasuke, discrete and Naruto didn't exist in the same universe.

"Dude, are you crying _again_?"

It was a close finish between Sasuke and Iruka for who slapped Naruto in the head first. As the blond yowled and flung his hands up to protect his skull, Sasuke snapped, "I'm not crying, moron," and Iruka swiftly grabbed Naruto's mug of tea off the carpet before it got kicked over. He tactfully didn't mention the tears Sasuke quickly swiped off his face while Naruto wasn't looking.

"So," Iruka said, placing his and Naruto's mugs around the side of the couch and out of kicking range, "you don't have to answer us now, but the offer's open and there's no retraction date. Have a think about it, okay?"

Sasuke shuffled his feet and Iruka hadn't seen him do _that_ since he first came into their lives as a tentative young teenager still unsure of his welcome.

"Are you… are you sure?" he asked and Naruto shifted to flop onto the couch next to his older brother, slinging an arm over Iruka's shoulders and pulling them together.

"Hey, man, this is _us_ you're talking to. We both agreed on it before we even talked about it," Naruto said.

"Besides," Iruka added, both brothers sporting matching grins, "we're great at adopting people."

Obsidian eyes flicked between them for a few moments before Sasuke's mouth twitched up a slight amount and little creases formed in the corners of his eyes. For the controlled young man, that was the equivalent of a beaming smile and Iruka clapped a warm hand on his shoulder. It was a special moment, beautiful in its simplicity and meaning, one that Iruka tucked away in his heart to keep safe and treasure forever.

So, naturally, Naruto went and bombed it by saying, "Y'know, on second thought I'm not sure this is such a great idea. He's such a cry baby he'll be weepy and snotty all over the house."

Iruka had just enough warning by Sasuke growling the word, "Dead," to duck out the way before the boys became a rolling, flailing ball of fists and shouted insults. Grabbing the mugs, he took them to the kitchen and dumped their cold contents into the sink, flicking on the kettle to make a fresh brew.

It had taken Iruka awhile to learn that Sasuke and Naruto's fights always sounded a lot more violent than they actually were so he wasn't worried. He knew they were both really laughing on the inside.

Leaning in the doorway, he watched them grapple for the upper hand and realised that from all the revelations that night neither of the boys had even twitched at Iruka revealing he'd been intimate with another man. Not that Iruka had thought it would be an issue; it was just nice to have been proven right and warmth filled him.

It was all over, his family was safe, Sasuke would come to live with them, and life would go back to something that made sense. Breathing a huge sigh of relief, Iruka closed his eyes and rested his head against the wood.

_It's all over and we're stronger for it_, he thought and felt that last thread of nervous tension bleed out of his shoulders.

"Asshole! Get off of me!"

Iruka opened his eyes to see that Sasuke, as usual, had gotten the upper hand and Naruto was pinned with his face shoved into the carpet.

"Not until you admit that you're a cry baby," Sasuke gloated and Naruto went off in an impressive fit of swearing.

_America really has taught him some new words_, Iruka thought with a raised eyebrow.

Considering he couldn't see Naruto admitting to any such thing anytime soon, Iruka decided it was time to step in and do his duty as the big brother.

"Pile on!" he yelled joyfully and pounced on Sasuke's back, pinning him on top of Naruto. "Now neither of you gets let up until you admit that you're pretty, pretty princesses and wear women's undies."

The cries of horrified protest were sweet music to his ears.

…

**AN: Holy codfish, batman, it's finished! **

**Not the story, just the chapter. Silly rabbits.**

**I am overwhelmed by all the encouragement/bribes/abuse/threats sent by readers to update and continue this story. I know it's been over a year since I updated, but it's been a very hard time for me and my family, and fanfiction was not at the top of my priority list. I hope to be able to update again within a reasonable timeframe but unfortunately the hard times have not yet passed so please be patient and understanding of long delays. Your encouragements have been wonderful during a trying time and I thank you all sincerely for them!**


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